‘I’m the better fighter’ — Kwon Won-il plans to finish Zoltsetseg by any means necessary

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‘I’m the better fighter’ — Kwon Won-il plans to finish Zoltsetseg by any means necessary

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Kwon Won-il  [ONE]

Kwon Won-il [ONE]

 
“Pretty Boy” Kwon Won-il has garnered a reputation for his incredible knockout power, but he is ready to show the world that there’s more to him than meets the eye.
 
The Korean dynamo’s forthcoming clash with Mongolian slugger Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg at ONE Fight Night 18 on Prime Video may be billed as a battle of powerful strikers, but that won’t prevent him from flipping the script and using some new tools at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, this Friday.
 

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Kwon — who is the No. 3-ranked bantamweight MMA contender — is polishing his weapons in every range, including the grappling department, and he is more than willing to showcase them when he competes in front of a U.S. primetime audience once again.
 
Simply put, the 28-year-old Seoul native believes he is the better stand-up practitioner and the more well-rounded mixed martial artist.
 
“I’m preparing for all areas of MMA," Kwon said. "You’ll see a new side of me.
 
“I’m the type of fighter flexible enough to change the game plan in the middle of a fight and adapt to my opponent, so I’ll use all aspects of MMA to suit the situation. I believe I’m superior in striking, but overall, I’m the better fighter in all aspects of MMA.”
 
While some opponents could feel cautious standing toe-to-toe with Zoltsetseg and his boxing prowess, Kwon has no such reservations.
 
The Korean star has an idea of what his rival brings to the table, but he’s not concerned about it and doesn’t think the Mongolian’s striking will have a massive impact on the bantamweight MMA showdown.
 
“Honestly, I am not really interested in getting to know my opponents," Kwon said. "One thing I’m aware of is he has strong punches. He’ll likely go for a one-punch KO, as usual. But I won’t get hit.”
 
Kwon and Zoltsetseg’s high-stakes battle is one of the most anticipated clashes on the ONE Fight Night 18 card, as many fans are expecting a hard-fought war between two of the most exciting strikers in the bantamweight MMA division.
 
The Korean, however, doesn’t foresee their three-round contest going the distance. In fact, he intends to stop the Mongolian hard-hitter and keep his 100 percent finishing ratio in ONE alive. 
 
“I know people are looking forward to it, but it could end more quickly and easily than expected," Kwon said. "My goal is to finish him as soon as possible. KO, submission, whatever, I don’t care. I plan to finish it.”
 
Another victory would put the Korean contender on a three-bout winning streak, and it could lead to a potential rematch with ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Fabricio Andrade.
 
“Pretty Boy” would welcome the opportunity. But if that doesn’t happen next, he plans on taking out every opponent in front of him until his World Title shot is inevitable.
 
“Whoever they put in front of me, I’ll knock them down," Kwon said. "I just hope they put Andrade in front of me soon.”
 
KJD

KJD


BY JAY FURNESS [kjdsport@joongang.co.kr]
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