Veteran Kyung-Ho Kang and his impressive 7-3 (1 NC) UFC record took on rising prospect Cristian Quiñonez at UFC Vegas 75.
Quiñonez earned an impressive knockout in the first round against Khalid Taha in his UFC debut in 2022 and looked to build on that momentum against a stiffer test in Kang, who has fought and won in the UFC for over a decade. Kang’s thirty-five years of age are a lot at a lighter weight class like bantamweight, but he proved he still has a lot to give when he beat Danaa Batgerel last June in his last fight.
The two orthodox fighters came out bouncing on the balls of their feet. Kang landed some good leg kicks and jabs early. Ninety seconds in Quiñonez hit Kang with a massive right hand that hurt him but Kang came back and dropped Quiñonez right after. Kyung-Ho went for a rear-naked choke with no hooks in but it failed, though he ended up on top in full mount. Quiñonez turned his back to get to his feet but Kang instantly locked up the rear-naked choke, hid the hand, and forced Cristian to tap.
MR. PERFECT SINKS QUINONEZ IN ONE! 😤
🇰🇷 Kyung Ho Kang dropped him then finished it with the submission! #UFCVegas75 pic.twitter.com/YvROHUerPC
— UFC (@ufc) June 18, 2023
This win was extremely impressive for Kang, as he showed he can still dispatch younger foes after a decade in the UFC, and do so in violent fashion. It also put him into the history books, tying him for second-most submissions in bantamweight history with four. Through his translator, ‘Mr. Perfect’ asked for a performance bonus, citing the recent birth of his child as a reason to do so.
Official Result: Kyung-Ho Kang def. Cristian Quiñonez by Submission (rear-naked choke) Round 1, 2:25
