Road FC 2 “Alive” takes place on April 16 at the Seoul Grand Hilton Hotel in Seoul, South Korea. In the main event, UFC veteran Denis Kang will take on Pride FC veteran Eun Soo Lee. The rest of the card is nothing that will scare Dana White or force him to break out the tombstone.
So, you are probably asking yourself, why should I care? The reason is very simple. There has not been a major league MMA show in South Korea since Pro Elite snowballed Spirit MC and promptly went out of business.
Denis Kang vs. Eun Soo Lee
It would not be a big show in South Korea without Kang. He fought 11 times for the Spirit MC and held the promotion’s over 80kg title. Kang will certainly be the favorite here, but this is not a walk over. Lee also held the same Spirit MC title and has dropped from heavyweight all the way down to middleweight. He has not fought since 2008 when he took a decision of Karl Louis-Jean at M-1 Challenge 8. Kang should be the quicker fighter on the feet. If it goes the ground, he has always shown a dynamic guard and should be able to catch a submission.
Pick = Denis Kang
Film Study: Denis Kang vs. Jae Young Kim
Doo Won Seo vs. Satoshi Nishino
Seo’s record may not impress anyone at 7-6, but he has faced UFC veterans Jake Ellenberger and Ryo Chonan. Also, the powers that be at Road FC are trying to set him up with a win here. Nishino is 5-7-2 and has not won since 2006. Seo is somewhat of a minor celebrity due to his musical career (video). However, he has nothing on the master balladeer Yoshihiro Akiyama.
Pick = Doo Won Seo
Film Study: Doo Won Seo vs. Jake Ellenberger
Young Bok Gil vs. Shoko Sato
Gil is one of the best South Korean wrestlers to transition into MMA. He recently won the Pacific Open freestyle wrestling tournament. Sato is solid veteran who fought in the SRC Asia Bantamweight Tournament. Look for Gil to take the fight to the ground and take dominant positions. Sato should be game enough to avoid a submission, but he will still be stuck on his back.
Pick = Young Bok Gil
Film Study: Young Bok Gil’s fight at Road FC 1
Woo Sung Yu vs. Koji Ando
Some considered Ando to be a respectable prospect, and he received an invite to the SRC Gold Rush reality show competition. He lost in the finals to Ikuo Usuda and then dropped a decision to Dream veteran Katsuhiko Nagata. “Bronco” will have a huge edge in experience and recently looked strong against Australian Adrian Pang.
Pick = Woo Sung Yu
Film Study: Woo Sung Yu vs. Ye Won Nam