Soo Chul Kim beat Bruno Azevedo by decision to secure a spot in the final of the Road FC bantamweight Grand Prix. The bout was held at the Anyang Gymnasium and featured the semi-finals of the bantamweight and lightweight tournaments.
The bantamweight semi final match between Kim and Azevedo headlined Road FC 65. Kim opened up with a leg kick and followed up with an overhand right before digging a left hand to the body.
The pair exchanged knees as they clinched against the fence. Kim attacked his opponent’s lead leg with low kicks and landed a solid front kick to the mid section. He soon followed it with another stinging left to the body.
Azevedo responded with one of his own with the right. A front kick from Kim was met with a stiff jab by the German. The Rizin veteran scored with a head kick but the visitor was undeterred. The Berlin-based fighter later shot for a double leg but didn’t get it.
He instead found himself on the wrong end of some ground and pound. He looked to be in trouble but was eventually able to find his feet and both men ended the round in the centre of the cage.
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Convincing display
Kim uncorked with a left to the body and a knee at the start of the second stanza and continued to attack the lead leg. More body shots followed as the home favourite increased his output.
He landed a left hook but was caught with a jab counter from the Brazilian. Azevedo then found a home for a right body kick but Kim planted a clean right to his jaw.
Azevedo replied with a right to body and caught Kim with a body kick after receiving yet another front kick. There was an exchange of heavy leg kicks early in the third.
Azevedo was left on his back after a scramble and absorbed some more ground and pound. It was the same result in the next scramble as Kim took his back but chose to go with strikes rather than a submission attempt.
Azevedo chinned the 31 year old with a mean left hook but it was Kim who was landed with more power and frequency. The Brazilian was showing signs of fatigue and was got battered with some heavy ground and pound after being easily pushed to the canvas.
It was a convincing display from Kim as the former ONE Championship bantamweight champion extends his record to 20-7-1 and books a spot in the final. Azevedo drops to 19-4.
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Best of the rest
The final of the bantamweight Grand Prix will be an all Korean affair. Ji Yong Yang (8-1) booked his spot after beating Je Hoon Moon (12-14) by split decision.
Nandin-Erdene Munguntsooj (17-8) stopped Shutaro Debana (9-5) late in the opening round to book a spot in the final of the lightweight Grand Prix. He will meet Artur Soloviev (10-6) who finished Mark Moleke (14-10).
Road FC 65, Anyang, August 26th
Soo Chul Kim def Bruno Azevedo via Decision (Unanimous)
Ji Yong Yang def Je Hoon Moon via Decision (Split)
Nandin-Erdene Munguntsooj def Shutaro Debana via TKO (Punches) at 4:33 of R1
Artur Soloviev def Mark Moleke via TKO (Punches) at 1:53 of R1
Dong Guk Shin def Sang Kwon Han via KO (Punches) at 4:05 of R1
Taisei Sekino def Il Hak Oh via TKO (Punches) at 2:35 of R2
Seung Ho Jung def Young Hoon Kim via KO (Front Kick and Punches) at 4:59 of R2
Yoon Soo Han def Jae Min Son via KO (Punch) at 1:50 of R2
Jae Bok Jung def Chan Woo Jang via Submission (Heel Hook) at 2:12 of R1
Sun Ju Lee def Shin Woo Lee via Decision (Unanimous)
Woo Young Han def Min Woo Kwon via KO (Punches) Sang Ki Choi at 2:02 of R1
