“It was such a good time. I spent time with family, rested, met up with friends. Tried my best to recover completely.”
SeungWoo Choi is recounting how he’s spent the four or so months since his June win over Julian Erosa. All wins feel great, of course, but that one was worth a little extra victory lap.
Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Costa vs. Vettori
“I was really happy to knock him out,” he smiles. It’s nothing personal against Erosa, but his first-round KO was Choi’s first finish victory since 2017 and his first under the UFC banner. It also earned an extra $50,000 from the bosses who awarded him Performance of the Night.
“I’ll try my best to do it again,” he says at the risk of stating the obvious.
Indeed, Choi and his team were over the moon backstage that night, and rightfully so. “Sting” had gone from watching UFC fights as a child, to playing the fighters in UFC video games, to training MMA and not only earning a spot in the world’s premier promotion but knocking out other top-tier athletes. And despite being five fights deep in a promising featherweight career, he’s lost none of his youthful enthusiasm for the company he now fights for. Always effervescent and quick with a laugh, it’s hard to talk to Choi and not come away feeling a little better.
“Of course, I’m still a big fan! I’ll be a fan until I die,” he declares with earnest glee. “And I’m proud of myself for getting here.”
As he should be. Choi has put together a strong three-fight win streak in an unforgiving division, and he has been awarded with his toughest task to date. Choi will meet Alex Caceres on a high-profile main card assignment Saturday at UFC Fight Night: Costa vs Vettori.
Despite being only five years his senior, Caceres came into the UFC when Choi was 18 years-old, back in 2011. Choi recalls watching “Bruce Leeroy” on television back then, unaware that he was beginning his research on a future matchup.