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Jo Yong-jik of Herald EconomyChoi Doo-ho, 35 — nicknamed the “Korean Superboy” — has staged a major comeback. After debuting in the UFC in 2014 and earning three straight wins early in his career, Choi has once again climbed back into the spotlight with another three-fight winning streak a decade later.
At the co-main of “UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Costa” on May 17 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Choi stopped “Willycat” Daniel Santos (31, Brazil) by TKO at 4:29 of the second round, landing a left hook following a punch combination. Down after a slow first round, Choi turned up the pressure in Round 2 and produced a dramatic comeback.
“I took a left mid kick in the first and it landed hard,” Choi told Herald Economy on May 21, reflecting on how cautious defense in Round 1 left him vulnerable to Santos’ early attack. He also admitted on his YouTube channel that he “almost got knocked out.”
When the referee called the stoppage, Choi walked back to his corner calm and expressionless — a stark contrast to the ferocious finish he’d just delivered. “I wasn’t trying to look a certain way,” he said. “I was just relieved to get through a tough fight.”
The current three-fight streak sits on the other side of a frustrating three-loss stretch in his record. His first UFC loss came in a classic bout with Cub Swanson — a fight that later earned both men Hall of Fame recognition — so that defeat carries little shame. Still, Choi’s path was marred by injuries and misfortune afterward, including an in-fight fracture that cost him wins he seemed to have in hand.
Fans have found quiet inspiration in his return. After completing mandatory public service later than most and returning to competition in 2024, Choi appears to be in a second peak. Injuries kept him from fighting frequently — he sat out all of last year — but this latest victory has re-energized his longtime supporters.
Attention now turns to Choi’s next opponent. He has said he plans to fight once more this year and immediately called out Patrício “Pitbull” Freire (38, Brazil) — then listed at No. 15 in the featherweight rankings (145 lb). New rankings released this week no longer include Freire.
“It doesn’t have to be Pitbull,” Choi said. “We’re already in talks about my next fight.”
He confirmed that the social post saying, “I stayed up all night over exciting news,” was related to his upcoming bout. When asked whether that meant a rumored UFC event in Korea, he declined to confirm: “Nothing’s set yet, so I can’t say,” he said, neither confirming nor denying the rumor. “I’ll be able to talk about my fight soon.”
Though fans joke about his ageless looks, Choi is 35 and a veteran of 18 years since his 2009 debut. Determined to climb as high as he can, he credited his supporters for the win: “Thanks to the fans who backed me before the fight, I think I got a good result this time,” he said.
“I’ll train smart and hard and show even a small improvement in every fight,” he added, pledging steady progress.
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