Angel’s Heroes, an independent developmental league established by AFC, had its second event on May 4 in Gangnam, Seoul. Despite predominantly having exciting finishes throughout the six-fight lineup, the headliner went to a decision and the result had many people in attendance scratching their heads.
The main event was a classic Team MAD versus Korean Zombie MMA matchup which has become a familiar theme on the regional scene in South Korea. Kim Joong-Gwan, making his professional debut, faced off against the undefeated grappler Kim Dong-Min.
The opening round was competitive on the feet with both fighters connecting at opportune times. Joong-Gwan mixed in clinching and some dirty boxing whenever the distance got too close but not much damage was done in that position. The round was up in the air which made the next five minutes much more important.
Brawling it out
Conscious of how the first round played out, both individuals commenced to brawl it out in the second. Dong-Min utilized the uppercut and right hook to beat up his opponent’s face. Even in the clinch, the Korean Zombie MMA prospect was able to separate easily and land the cleaner shots.
With both fighters hunched over in exhaustion, a majority decision in favour of Dong-Min was announced. However, Joong-Gwan was visibly confused with the outcome and looked to people in the crowd with his hands up in frustration.
Once he stepped out the cage, he immediately applied for an appeal. As a result, the official announcement of the result has been delayed. The chairman of referees for AFC Baek Jong-Geun stated,
“After the appeal came, we decided to analyze the contest for about a week, deliver the result to both teams, and announce it officially.”
If confirmed, the win would take Dong-Min to 2-0 and see Joong-Gwan drop to 0-1.
Major upset
The co-main event between Team MAD’s Jung Kyung-Yeol and MMA Story’s Hwang Seong-Ju was the upset of the afternoon. Jung came into the matchup with a better overall record but that did not matter to the explosive, bouncy striker Hwang.
Before the finish came early in the first round, Jung was inadvertently poked in the right eye twice leading to a yellow card for Hwang.
The penalty seemed to spark a sense of urgency and instantly after the break to have the doctor look at Jung’s eye, Hwang dropped his opponent with a counter right hook and rushed in with ground and pound. During a scramble, Hwang locked up an arm-in guillotine and choked Jung unconscious.
While Hwang picks up his first victory as a professional and move to 1-3, Jung is finished for the second straight time and drops his record to 1-2.
Up and comer
The most promising up-and-comer on the card, Lee Jun-Oh, impressed once again with a quick submission over Lee Seung-Hae.
Even though the Nova MMA representative was returning after over a year on the shelf, he did not show any sign of cage rust. Out the gate, Lee Jun-Oh collapsed his adversary with a combination against the fence and had him in all kinds of trouble.
Trying to get his bearings, Seung-Hae attempted an ill-advised takedown and had his neck taken. Not much longer after that sequence, he was put to sleep by a guillotine choke and had to have the referee revive him.
Jun-Oh improves to 3-0 while Lee Seung-Hae is 0-1 after tasting defeat on his professional debut.
AFC 12: ‘Hero Of The Belt’ is up next for the South Korean promotion on June 10th and will mark the return of Choi Hong-Man.
Angel’s Heroes 2, Seoul, May 4
Kim Dong-Min def. Kim Joong-Gwan via Decision (Majority) at 5:00 of Round 2
Hwang Seong-Ju def. Jung Kyung-Yeol via Submission (Guillotine) at 1:14 of Round 1
Lee Jun-Oh def. Lee Seung-Hae via Submission (Guillotine) at 0:24 of Round 1
Mamamurodov Rustam def. Kim Jong-Baek via Decision (Unanimous) at 5:00 of Round 2
Lee Young-Hoon def. Park Jae-Hyun via TKO (Referee Stoppage) at 4:08 of Round 2
Kim Jun-Soo def. Choi Eun-Ho via TKO (Punches) at 2:01 of Round 2
