Title: Preparing Farewell for a 12-Year UFC Veteran Amidst a Two-Match Skid
On January 6th, 2025, Kyung Ho Kang broke the news on social media that the UFC had bid him adieu. Kang, a seasoned veteran with a 37-year-old heart and a professional MMA record of 19-11-1, had spent eight years with the UFC, amassing an 8-5-1 record as a bantamweight.
Despite never achieving contender status, Kang made history as one of the first South Koreans to join the UFC. He began his journey with the UFC in 2012, debuting against Alex Caceres in 2013 in Saitama, Japan. This fight, which ended in a split decision, was one of only two times the UFC visited Japan between 2013 and 2017.
However, recent collaborations with RIZIN hint at a possible UFC return to Japan this year. After an unsuccessful no-contest against Caceres, Kang lost to Chico Camus by unanimous decision in August 2013. Despite this rocky start, he rallied, winning his next three fights and seven out of eight overall from January 2014 to December 2019. Yet, despite this impressive streak, Kang remained unranked. Inactivity was a significant factor during the mid-2010s, and although he fought at least once per year from 2021 to 2024, he couldn't secure a spot as a contender. His final two losses with the UFC, both by unanimous decision, came against John Castaneda and Muin Gafurov in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
On a more positive note, Dana White announced an impressive card for UFC Seattle, set for February 22, 2025. The lineup includes former champions Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz, as well as hometown hero Michael Chiesa. The full card is as follows:
- Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong (Men's Bantamweight)
- Rob Font vs. Dominick Cruz (Men's Bantamweight)
- Ketlen Vieira vs. Macy Chiasson (Women's Bantamweight)
- Edson Barboza vs. Steve Garcia (Featherweight)
- Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez (Middleweight)
- Ion Cutelaba vs. Ibo Aslan (Light Heavyweight)
- Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev (Heavyweight)
- Adam Fugitt vs. Islam Dulatov (Welterweight)
- Jean Silva vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan (Featherweight)
- Modestas Bukauskas vs. Raffael Cerqueira (Light Heavyweight)
- Muhammad Abdul-Malik vs. Antônio Trócoli (Middleweight)
- Michael Chiesa vs. TBD
- Chidi Njokuani vs. TBD
It's uncertain who Michael Chiesa or Chidi Njokuani will face in Seattle. However, Chiesa's enthusiasm to participate in the event is evident, especially since he was born in Colorado and raised in Spokane, Washington. He welcomed this opportunity to compete in his home state.
Update: While Kang's retirement announcement suggests he's leaving his MMA career behind, there's no indication he plans to return to Japan for UFC events. His focus now seems to be on other aspects of his life.
UFC Seattle, scheduled for February 22, 2025, features a notable card with former champions Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz. (ufc seattle)Kyung Ho Kang, a South Korean MMA fighter, had an impressive streak with the UFC between 2014 and 2019, wining seven out of eight fights. (was kyung ho kang good)The UFC has not released any official news about Kyung Ho Kang returning to the UFC after his retirement announcement in 2025. (ufc releases)