One-Day Tournament (4)

Oh Jin-sung was a handsome athlete standing at 180cm. While Yu Jung-ak had a somewhat gentle impression, Oh Jin-sung had a more masculine and intense face.

He had dyed his hair blonde and his body was tanned to a bronze color.

As soon as he climbed onto the ring, he glared at Yu Jung-ak with a murderous gaze.

"Just be careful of one shot and keep pounding. He's from mixed martial arts. If you don't let your guard down, it's nothing special. Be careful of the clinch."

"Okay."

Oh Jin-sung nodded, taking in his second's instructions once more. Yu Jung-ak maintained the same expression as in his first match, avoiding Oh Jin-sung's blatant stare. Oh Jin-sung thought this was because Yu Jung-ak was overwhelmed by his aura.

However, that was just Oh Jin-sung's misconception. Yu Jung-ak was a fighter who had never been overwhelmed by anyone's aura.

He was never afraid of anyone because he always prepared thoroughly for matches. Yu Jung-ak's greatest weapon was not his physique, but his mental strength.

Yu Jung-ak took a deep breath and assumed his fighting stance. The second match began. After touching gloves, the two fighters slightly separated and started to move within striking distance.

Oh Jin-sung feinted a kick, observing Yu Jung-ak's reaction. Usually, when an opponent makes a kicking motion, one would flinch, but Yu Jung-ak showed no such reaction.

'Look at this guy? He doesn't even blink at this level, huh?'

Yu Jung-ak's ability to detect danger was improving. Now he could even distinguish between feints. If Yu Jung-ak could maintain this ability throughout the match, there would be almost no one he couldn't beat.

However, this ability of Yu Jung-ak's would lose accuracy if his concentration dropped even slightly. So maintaining his mental state was crucial. In combat sports, even if you do well ten times, one mistake can change the winner and loser.

Especially since Yu Jung-ak wasn't a hard puncher, he had to aim for counters to knock down his opponents. Counters could bring great rewards if successful, but also great losses if failed. That's why Yu Jung-ak always had to fight cautiously.

Letting your guard down was forbidden.

Yu Jung-ak ignored the bait Oh Jin-sung was throwing and boldly threw a low kick. When Oh Jin-sung feinted, Yu Jung-ak rotated his body mercilessly without even looking back and launched his right foot.

Whack!

The sound of the powerful low kick was heard all the way to the audience seats. Usually, such big movements don't land well. The reason this low kick landed was that Oh Jin-sung had been trying to deceive Yu Jung-ak with small movements consistently.

During the initial feeling-out period, it's common not to throw such strong attacks and instead feint to gauge reach or timing, but Yu Jung-ak broke that pattern and just threw a powerful kick. It could be said that he was skilled at psychological warfare, or that he had great guts.

No matter how hard he was hit, Oh Jin-sung wasn't weak enough to feel pain from just one low kick. In fact, when the match starts, fighters' adrenaline surges and they barely feel pain. Even the low kick he just took didn't cause much pain.

However, it was enough to upset Oh Jin-sung. Moreover, while attacks to the legs or abdomen might not cause pain initially, they could become a hindrance in the later rounds.

Thud!

This time, Yu Jung-ak threw his specialty jab. But Oh Jin-sung was no easy opponent. When Yu Jung-ak threw the jab, thinking it would be hard to avoid, Oh Jin-sung took the hit and instead threw a combination.

He dove into Yu Jung-ak's range, threw a left hook, followed by a right body shot. Then he threw a low kick at Yu Jung-ak as he was backing away.

Yu Jung-ak blocked the left hook with his guard but had to allow the body shot and low kick. Oh Jin-sung's combination was that fast. And it was powerful too.

This was the striking technique typical of a stand-up fighter. Knowing that the opponent couldn't use attacks like takedowns, even if he momentarily lost balance, he could freely attack his opponent.

Yu Jung-ak slightly retreated while assessing the situation. He wasn't greatly damaged, but he was surprised. Oh Jin-sung's skills were cleaner and more impressive than expected.

"Jung-ak. Go in first and grab him!" Rumsak Noi, who was watching, shouted towards Yu Jung-ak. Jung-ak nodded and went in with his guard up.

Whoosh!

As Yu Jung-ak came in with his guard up, Oh Jin-sung threw a powerful right hook. Yu Jung-ak pretended to block with his guard while avoiding Oh Jin-sung's big punch and dove into his range. Then he quickly wrapped his body and threw a knee kick to the abdomen.

Oh Jin-sung naturally blocked the knee kick with his left hand. However, Yu Jung-ak's attack didn't end there. Like a Muay Thai fighter, he skillfully used his other foot to sweep Oh Jin-sung's standing leg, knocking him over.

The 180cm tall Oh Jin-sung floated in the air for a moment before falling to the ring floor. The referee intervened and made Yu Jung-ak back away. Oh Jin-sung stood up immediately with a dejected expression. There was no damage, but it was good for changing the flow of the match.

[As expected from an MMA fighter, his understanding of the clinch is high. But even though Oh Jin-sung is not weak in standing clinch, he got knocked over easily. Yu Jung-ak's understanding of stand-up fighting is higher than expected.]

Seo Dong-gi's commentary praised Yu Jung-ak. As Oh Jin-sung stood up, Yu Jung-ak lowered his stance even more, feinting as if he would go in again, and then threw another jab.

Yu Jung-ak had a longer reach than Oh Jin-sung. Naturally, maintaining distance was advantageous for Yu Jung-ak. Yu Jung-ak cleverly raised his guard and lowered his stance as if to induce another clinch fight, making Oh Jin-sung back away, and then threw a long jab.

Oh Jin-sung's expression twisted again. He realized he had been deceived.

While combat sports are primal, it's not just about mindless hitting and getting hit. When fighters fight in the ring, they engage in a battle of wits, like playing chess. It may seem like they're simply exchanging attacks, but an intense battle of strategy is unfolding within.

Oh Jin-sung's body shot and low kick were part of this, and Yu Jung-ak's feint to land the jab was in the same vein.

Thwack! Smack!

After landing the jab, Yu Jung-ak immediately threw a left middle kick. He tried to retract his foot quickly, but Oh Jin-sung caught the kick with lightning speed. Then he immediately dove into Yu Jung-ak's range. Yu Jung-ak hopped on one foot, trying to maintain his balance with the other foot.

Then Oh Jin-sung extended his leg, intending to trip Yu Jung-ak. He was trying to hook Yu Jung-ak's foot. But something unexpected happened.

Yu Jung-ak had been waiting for this timing. As Oh Jin-sung extended his leg, Yu Jung-ak lifted his body upwards and threw a high kick.

A flying high kick.

Oh Jin-sung quickly guarded, not allowing a clean hit, but it was an attack with considerable weight behind it. Yu Jung-ak fell to the ground and immediately stood up, while Oh Jin-sung didn't fall but staggered for a moment. Yu Jung-ak didn't miss this opportunity.

He aggressively went in on the momentarily shocked Oh Jin-sung, using short punches and knee kicks. When Oh Jin-sung, cornered, threw a powerful right hook, Yu Jung-ak, as if he had been waiting for this, stepped in even closer and threw a left elbow.

Smack!

The sound of bone hitting bone was heard. It was the sound made because gloves aren't worn on elbows.

The elbow didn't land as strongly as it could have, but the impact was still considerable. Oh Jin-sung staggered from the elbow strike. Yu Jung-ak didn't miss this opening and threw another elbow. This time, even stronger.

Crack!

An even louder sound than before echoed throughout the arena. Oh Jin-sung crumbled right there. The referee saw Oh Jin-sung's glazed eyes and immediately called a stop to the match.

Human bones are tougher than one might think. Especially elbow attacks, while they might look less powerful than punches, actually deliver significant impact to the opponent. While they might not have the flashy impact of a punch, they can certainly deal enough damage.

That's not all. Elbows are also good for creating cuts. Cutting, in simple terms, means tearing the opponent's skin.

Why is this significant in combat sports? Because if the skin is severely torn and bleeding heavily, the referee can forcibly stop the match. If a fighter's skin is torn by a legal attack, a TKO victory is declared for the fighter who caused the cut. That's why fighters are extremely cautious of elbow attacks.

The problem was that Oh Jin-sung, despite being sufficiently prepared for these elbows, let his guard down during the match.

Domestic stand-up combat sports in Korea were heavily influenced by World One even before they became popular. So, most of them banned elbow strikes. Moreover, most Korean stand-up fighters come from a kickboxing background rather than traditional Muay Thai, so they don't train elbow strikes as much. Unlike Muay Thai fighters, they don't need to get in as close. But World One, in an effort to return to its roots, lifted the ban on elbow attacks.

Oh Jin-sung had prepared sufficiently for elbow strikes, but in the heat of the moment, he forgot about it for a split second.

When Yu Jung-ak dove into his range, he didn't pay attention to the possibility of an elbow strike. Normally, it would be difficult to throw a powerful punch from that position. So he was only focused on Yu Jung-ak's knees.

That moment of carelessness led to his defeat. Oh Jin-sung's skills weren't bad. If he had performed to his usual standard, Yu Jung-ak would have had to give up a lot.

In combat sports, even if you do well ten times, one mistake can put you on the floor. Oh Jin-sung had managed to shake Yu Jung-ak with his quick combinations, but a moment's mistake put him on the ground.

[Oh! What's happening? Oh Jin-sung just went down from a series of elbow strikes. It looks like... there's some bleeding.]

[It seems a cut opened up from the second elbow strike. Judging by his lack of reaction to the second strike, he was probably already rocked by the first elbow.]

[It's a shame for Oh Jin-sung, who was one of the more skilled participants in this tournament. You know, Oh Jin-sung might not have many professional fights, but he has an impressive amateur record. He's definitely not a fighter to be taken lightly.]

[And yet, Yu Jung-ak manages to get a first-round KO. That's two first-round KOs in a row.]

[Yu Jung-ak is really going to do something today, isn't he?]

[As you know, MMA and stand-up fighting, while both combat sports, have many differences. So when an MMA fighter comes to a stand-up match, they usually struggle to adapt. The same goes for the opposite situation. But Yu Jung-ak seems like he was originally a stand-up fighter. He's calm and his techniques are clean.]

[I never imagined we'd see an elbow KO. Let's look at the slow-motion replay. Ah, Oh Jin-sung's eyes are almost completely focused downward, on the knee area.]

[It seems Oh Jin-sung let his guard down after the kick catch. He seems to have been slightly stunned by Yu Jung-ak's flying high kick. You know, even if you guard against it, a powerful high kick can still cause impact.]

[Are you saying Yu Jung-ak's kicks are that strong?]

[Kicks are generally more damaging than punches. However, high kicks can cause damage even through a guard if it's not done properly. It's like if we put our left hand on our forehead and hit it with our other hand, we'd still feel the impact.]

[So you're saying Oh Jin-sung didn't guard properly?]

[It's a beginner's mistake, but surprisingly common even in professional fights. If you press your guard too close to your face, the impact of the kick is transferred directly to your face. The guard should be reducing the impact, but instead, it's just transferring it.]

[Why would an experienced fighter like Oh Jin-sung make such a mistake?]

[It seems he was flustered by Yu Jung-ak's unorthodox attack and hastily put up his guard. If he hadn't, he would have been hit directly by the kick. When fighters are stunned and cornered like that, they usually use knee kicks. The distance is just right for a knee kick at that moment. A flying knee would work too. That's why Oh Jin-sung was looking at Yu Jung-ak's knees. But Yu Jung-ak isn't originally from a stand-up background. So instead of throwing a knee kick at that timing, he stepped in closer and threw an elbow. Oh Jin-sung was completely caught off guard.]

The commentator nodded at Seo Dong-gi's accurate and cool-headed analysis. Seo Dong-gi was good at analysis. Sometimes he was criticized for going into too much detail, but the hardcore fans loved this style of Seo Dong-gi.

Especially because Seo Dong-gi didn't hold back on criticism for both domestic and international fighters, it was easy to understand what a fighter did wrong and what they did well.

Yu Jung-ak was looking worriedly at Oh Jin-sung lying on the ground. Blood was flowing from Oh Jin-sung's forehead, but the ring doctor quickly stopped the bleeding. Oh Jin-sung looked at Yu Jung-ak who was watching him and patted his legs.

"You should go rest quickly and prepare for your next fight."

"Are you okay?"

"I lost because I let my guard down. Let's fight again next time. If you feel that bad, buy me a drink later. Make sure you beat Jang Sung-hyun. I've never been able to beat that guy. But he's not easy, so be careful."

Oh Jin-sung was more easy-going than expected. He cleanly admitted his defeat.

"Hey! Are you okay?"

Oh Jin-sung's trainer asked.

"I'm fine. It's not like this is the first or second time I've lost."

Oh Jin-sung raised his hand high as he left the ring. He had no regrets because he had done his best, even though he lost.

It wasn't a bloody battle, but Oh Jin-sung had tried his best too. The audience seemed to recognize this and applauded.

[This is what's charming about Oh Jin-sung!]

Yu Jung-ak also received cheers as he left the ring. As he was heading towards the waiting room, he saw Oh Jung-ryong. And next to him was Yoon Ji-yun. It seemed Oh Jung-ryong had brought her along after learning she had come.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Thanks for coming."

"We already talked about that earlier."

Yoon Ji-yun was wearing jeans, a white T-shirt, and a baseball cap. It wasn't a particularly flashy outfit, but she looked very pretty. Yu Jung-ak, who had only seen her during training before, could now see how pretty she was with makeup on.

"Let's eat after the match is over."

"Isn't it over already?"

"There's still one match left."

"Don't get hurt and come back, then I'll buy you something delicious."

Yu Jung-ak spoke lightly and entered the waiting room.

"Are you dating that girl?"

Cho Yong-il asked.

"No. We just made plans to eat together."

"She's pretty and nice, why not? Don't go around fooling around, that's not good."

"Huh?"

"What do you mean 'huh'? Kid."

"Do I look like that kind of person to you, uncle?"

"You definitely seem like you could be."

"Rumsak, do you think so too?"

"What are you saying, Jung-ak?"

Fortunately, Rumsak Noi couldn't understand what Yu Jung-ak and Cho Yong-il were saying. Yu Jung-ak explained to Rumsak Noi in English, and Rumsak Noi replied that he definitely seemed like that type.

Now, only one match remained.