South Korea’s Jun-Yong Park wants to be known as a fighter, but right now, fans in his home country might know him better for his post-fight celebrations.
Middleweight Park is back in action at UFC Vegas 83, facing Andre Muniz on a card that has shifted from Shanghai, China to Las Vegas, NV.
“It really doesn’t matter to me honestly,” Park (17-5) said during the UFC Vegas 83 media day when asked about the shift, and whether he would have preferred to compete in Asia. “Las Vegas, I’ve been here quite a few times. As long as I’m able to fight on December 9, that’s all that matters to me.”
Park got a little extra attention after a celebratory dance following his last win, and since then, he’s been asked “over 50 times” if he’ll do it again.
“If I win, it’s not something that I plan, it’s just goes by feel,” he responded when asked about that dance. “So who knows. You might see it again. I live without thinking.”
Fans, he noted, have been talking about his dancing, giving him more attention than in the past. “A lot of fans in Korea, they don’t really talk about my fight, they talk about my dance. So all I ask is just please, watch my match. I’m not a dancer, I’m a fighter!”
When it comes to opponent Andre Muniz, a dangerous BJJ fighter, Jun Yong Park noted that “I thought about him a lot, I went over things. He does have a really good ground game, but when it comes to his southpaw stance, his reach, his legs and arms reach is something I have to consider, especially with the distance— I have to keep [it] in mind for the match.”
Watch the full UFC Vegas 83 media day appearance by Jun Yong Park above.
