Jun Yong Park faces André Muniz at UFC Vegas 83 this weekend. The Korean will be looking for his fourth straight win and the last three have all come courtesy of a rear naked choke.
He will surely be looking for another submission at the Apex Centre this weekend but it sounds like Park is expecting a standup war,
“It’s going to be a bloodbath.”
"It's definitely gonna be a blood bath. I can foresee it has a lot of ground."
Junyong Park aims to add another submission victory to his record at #UFCVegas83 🔊🆙
Preview the card ➡️: https://t.co/Sxvh1ZiKOR
— UFC News (@UFCNews) December 7, 2023
High level
His opponent is a third degree BJJ black belt. Park predicts there will be ‘a lot of ground’ but clearly anticipates they will be trading strikes rather than submission attempts.
Park has clearly been studying Muniz and is impressed by what he has seen of the Brazilian,
“He’s a high level grappler and a very technical left handed fighter (but) I’m the type of fighter that will always go for the win.”
Park has been establishing his own grappling credentials in recent weeks. His first four wins came by way of decision but the submission win over Albert Duraev at UFC Vegas 77 was the third in a row that had come courtesy of a rear naked choke.
DO NOT SLEEP ON THE IRON TURTLE 🐢
Junyong Park with the finish and the shimmy 🕺 #UFCVegas77 pic.twitter.com/hYeENz3DXz
— UFC (@ufc) July 16, 2023
Always hungry
It means Park has been a regular visitor to Las Vegas. This will be the seventh time in a row that he has fought at the Apex Centre and he is getting used to the trip although there is always one downside,
“It’s my seventh time in Las Vegas and it’s always great, the only downside is that I’m always hungry.”
He has been one of the most successful Korean fighters on the UFC roster. There isn’t a single fighter from the county currently in the top 15 but a fourth win for Park would surely see him break into the middleweight rankings.
He refused to celebrate his win over Joseph Holmes at UFC Vegas 63 out of respect to the 153 people who has lost their lives in the Halloween disaster in Seoul a few days earlier. Park is extremely humble and simply doesn’t see himself as a star,
“I don’t see myself as a star, there are a lot of good Korean fighters out there.”
His star is certainly rising. If he can make it four wins in a row at UFC Vegas 83 this weekend then a place in the top 15 surely awaits the softly spoken Korean.
