Jun Yong Park, typically a striker, set the UFC record for ground strikes in a fight, dominating John Phillips at UFC Fight Island 6.
Striking-focused fighters Jun Yong Park and John Phillips faced off at UFC Fight Island 6. Park was 1-1 in the UFC and 11-4 overall heading into the event. He was finished in his debut but bounced back by defeating Canadian prospect Marc-Andre Barriault in December. Park was supposed to fight Trevin Giles in August, but pulled out of that fight. Of his 11 career victories heading into the fight, eight were finishes.
John Phillips is a Welsh who has had a rough go in the UFC, going 1-4 with three submission losses. His last fight was against rising star Khamzat Chimaev, but before that, a 17-second knockout earned him a performance of the night bonus.
Both fighters stood in front of each other for the first minute with very little movement and no offense, then Park exploded for a takedown. Phillips rolled and Park established a headlock. Phillips powered through to his feet, but went back to the ground with Park hanging onto his neck. Park then took his back and began peppering him with ground-and-pound. Both hooks were in for Park, who flattened Phillips out and continued to land punches. Phillips exploded and turned, but still had Park on top, who returned to the back of Phillips. They ended up in a seated position against the cage with Park still on the back of Phillips, riding out the round from there.
Phillips landed a leg kick early on, then Park shot right in for a single-leg, eating an uppercut in the process, but still getting Phillips down. Park got on Phillips’ back quickly and we got right back to what we saw in the first round. Park was giving Phillips a steady diet of punches, then upgraded to hard hammerfists, which caused Phillips to try and explode, but he didn’t get anywhere. Phillips simply wasn’t able to improve his positioning as the referee came close to stopping the fight several times.
Phillips came out desperate and aggressive in the final round. He was winging hooks trying to connect with something fight-changing, but was promptly taken down again by Park, who had set a record for ground strikes in a middleweight fight by the halfway point of the final round. Instead of being on the back, Park was working from guard this time. Phillips gave several efforts to stand up, and the third allowed Park to take his back and we were back to square one. By the end of the fight, the ground strike total was at 286, a new record.
Jun Yong Park def. John Phillips by Unanimous Decision (30-25 x3)
