Middleweight, Hwang In Soo (8-1) Vs. Paddy McCorry (6-1)
Notable Notes
- Soo is 2-0 to the decision
- McCorry doesn’t have a win over someone with a winning record
- Soo has lost by KO in five-seconds
- US debut for Soo
- McCorry has wins via KO/TKO, submission, and decision
- Soo has fought just four time in five years
- McCorry went 1-1 on TUF 32
- Both have a combined nine first-round finishes
- Soo has a win over RTU alum, Kim Han Seul
- Soo hasn’t won via finish in over four years
Hwang In Soo
-Knockout power
-Power kicks
-Good right hand
-Hands low
-Suspect chin
-Low volume/Single strikes
-Repetitive
-Lacks setups/feints
-Terrible striking defense/Doesn’t like getting hit
-Plodding footwork
-Rushes in blind
-Cardio lacks
Hardcore fans first took notice of Soo when he burst onto the scene with four straight first-round knockouts. But that momentum came to a screeching halt when he was slept in just five seconds—a loss that still defines him. Since then, he’s managed to rebuild with four consecutive wins, picking up the Road FC middleweight title along the way and beating RTU alum Han Saul Kim.
On paper, that looks solid. In reality, it isn’t. His résumé doesn’t feature a single meaningful win, and that brutal KO came against an 8-6 part-timer. He’s what the MMA community considers, a “nothing burger.” His game is painfully limited—basically a right hook and a right kick. He’s often painfully dull, and when he does decide to open up, it’s rare. Earlier in his career, he’d recklessly throw power strikes with no defense, but lately he’s shifted toward point fighting—without setups, feints, or any real consistency.
He’ll make a good read maybe once every few minutes, but otherwise, his offense is predictable. He’s only been finished once, yet if he were competing outside of South Korea, he’d probably be sitting at 4-9 right now. The blueprint to beat him is simple: pressure him. Soo hates getting hit, reacts poorly when caught clean, and his head movement is nonexistent—especially when his feet are planted or he’s moving straight back.
At 31, with all these flaws baked in, there’s no real path forward. Soo’s ceiling has already been reached.
Paddy McCorry
-Uses range well
-Explosive
-Good knees
-Submission threat
-Good kicks
-TDD needs work
-Gives up his back
-Low volume
-Easily backed up
McCorry appeared on season 32 of The Ultimate Fighter, where he went 1-1—beating Mark Hulme but falling short against Robert Valentin. The Hulme win holds some value, but the Valentin loss hasn’t aged well. Since then, he’s added two more victories, though they came against limited competition (a 6-7 opponent and a 2-1 fighter from Israel).
The main critique of McCorry coming into TUF was that he was still too raw, and that remains true. His biggest flaw is his takedown defense: once opponents get in on a leg, his balance isn’t strong enough to keep him upright. Worse, his typical reaction off the mat is to give up his back. Getting submitted by a scarf-hold armlock speaks to how vulnerable he can be once grounded.
Offensively, he does bring a threat—mainly with front chokes. On the feet, McCorry is raw but dangerous. He makes good use of his range with kicks and can close distance quickly with knees and a heavy overhand right. That said, his hands overall lack polish. He throws a lot of hooks, doesn’t often attack straight down the middle, and his output comes in short bursts rather than steady volume.
At middleweight, there’s always room for raw potential to find success, but for McCorry to compete at the UFC level, he needs massive improvements in both defensive grappling and striking fundamentals.
Prediction: This matchup could go one of two ways: an explosive first-round finish or a frustrating, low-output affair. Both fighters have a tendency to stall and wait for openings rather than push the pace.
Soo brings more raw power, but McCorry is the more defensively sound fighter. McCorry has never been stopped by strikes, while Soo once got knocked out in five seconds and tends to get clipped in nearly every fight. Technically, neither man is polished, but McCorry at least mixes in feints, movement, and a bit of variety. Takedowns likely won’t play a major role, though it might be worth McCorry’s while to test that route—Soo is unfamiliar with the ground game, whereas McCorry has shown some offensive grappling threats.
Soo’s best chance is an early knockout, but there’s no evidence that McCorry’s chin is unreliable. Over time, McCorry’s broader toolset, cleaner defense, and better cardio should carry him. He offers more paths to victory and tends to look better in extended exchanges.
Neither man looks UFC-ready, but given the matchup, the pick is McCorry by second-round TKO.
