Problem Hoon lost to a junior in his retirement match.
Yang Ji-yong (27-Team Ducking, Jeju) battled Problem Hoon (39-Octagon MMA) until the third round, when the fight went to a split decision and he won a 2-1 split decision in a bantamweight (-63 kg) tournament reserve bout at Gupne ROAD FC 065 at Anyang Indoor Gym on Saturday.
Matterhoon, who is considered to be a good integrator of taekwondo into MMA, was a striker, but was unable to overcome the ground skills of Akira Haraguchi in their quarterfinal bout. Yang Ji-yong had won seven straight fights since making his professional debut before suffering his first loss in the tournament quarterfinals to Rajabal Sheydullayev via rear-naked choke.
Yang Ji-yong consistently provoked Problem Hoon and wanted a fight, and Problem Hoon accepted Yang’s challenge for his retirement fight.
They even argued at the weigh-in the day before. Yang Ji-yong said, “I’ve been watching him since I was a kid, and he inspired me to be a fighter,” and then added, “It’s my last fight, so I’m sad, but I’m going to kill him. That’s the etiquette of MMA. I’ll knock him out with my fists in the first round.” He showed confidence.
“He announced his retirement and said he was going to fight in Anyang, so I accepted,” said Problem Hoon. “I wanted to beat him up because I had a feud with Yang Ji-yong since the championship match. I wanted to win the tournament and beat him up, but I lost, so I announced my retirement. Ji-yong wanted to do it, and it meant a lot to him that it was his retirement fight, so I wanted to show him in his hometown of Anyang. I will teach him that he is not inferior in terms of hitting, and that even though he is old, he is strong in hitting.”
The match was held in Anyang, his hometown, so the entire crowd was cheering for him.
The first round was a long exploratory one, with both fighters timing each other. Matterhoon used his kicks to create distance, while Yang Ji-yong used his punches to extend his reach.
They exchanged kicks, but Matterhoon’s kick turned into a rollover and the match was briefly stopped. Yang Ji-yong, who was in a lot of pain, got back to his feet after a nearly five-minute break.
When the match resumed, Yang Ji-yong kept Problem Hoon on his toes with his kicks. Instead of approaching each other, the fight continued with kicks from a distance. After a kick from Problem Hoon, Yang Ji-yong rushed in and took the fight to the clinch. The first round ended with no action.
In the second round, the gap between the two gradually closed, and the attacks came. Yang Ji-yong suddenly dug in and threw 토토 a punch, which was answered by a kick, and then a punch followed by a kick. However, it didn’t make much of an impact.
In the third round, Yang caught a kick and tackled him, eventually taking him down. Problem Hoon held on with his back to the cage. Eventually, Yang Ji-yong is unable to do much and stands back up.
Problem unleashes several big kicks, but Yang Jiyong quickly steps back. Yang Ji-yong tackled him again and took him down, but there was nothing more.
In the final minute, the two finally locked up. They exchanged punches furiously. But the final whistle blew without a tie.
After the game, a retirement ceremony was held. He thanked everyone who helped him during his career. He took one last photo with his wife and son before saying goodbye.