The '2023 Jeonbuk Combat Sports Festival MAXFC First League 28 IN Jeonju (venue Lee Sang-geun)' concluded on March 3 at the Hwasan Indoor Gymnasium in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. The tournament featured some of the biggest names in kickboxing, ranging from athletes making their first professional appearance to middle-aged kickboxing coaches in their 40s with 30 years of experience.
The heavyweight match between Nam Il (45-Roegwon Tu Muay Thai), a middle-aged coach in his 40s who received a lot of attention before the tournament started, and teenage prospect Park Ji-hoon (18-Gwangju Team Best) produced a bit of drama as Nam Il, who led with his kwan-rok, won in the end. From the beginning of the first round, Park Ji-hoon pushed forward with his punching attack, but Nam Il kept his distance and landed heavy kicks. In the second round, neither fighter backed down, and in the third round, Park Ji-hoon fought hard but was unable to break through Nam Il's seasoned game plan, and the match ended in Nam Il's favor. When the bell rang to end the fight, Nam Il didn't hesitate, and his coach, Kim Chung-gu (Andong Jungjin Gymnasium), immediately entered the ring and helped him to his feet. After a clean hit, Nam Il won a 2-1 decision over Park Ji-hoon.
Nam-il said, "In my 40s and living a stable life, I felt somewhat free. I experienced various sports, but I think I had a great desire to be in the ring again." "It was the first time in a long time that I was able to focus on preparing for a fight and getting to the final round. I am grateful to everyone who was there," he said. Kim Chung-goo, the second coach, said, "They called me out of the blue and asked me to run as the second coach. I was confused, but I was determined and decided to cheer him on from the sidelines. I am so proud of my student who succeeded in his challenge after 15 years." He was overwhelmed. 토토
The night's co-main event pitted MMA newcomer Lee Hyun-bin (18, Team Strongwolf, Namyangju) against Kang Bum-joon (25, Incheon Yak Gym), who returned to the MAXFC scene after a six-year absence. The bout was characterized by the 40-fight veteran controlling the ring throughout the first round, but there were several times when the newcomer's spectacular boxing skills and fighting spirit pushed him back. The result was a 3-0 decision in favor of Kang. The praise of the officials was heaped on Lee Hyun-bin, and in the end, both fighters were victorious.
MAXFC CEO Lee Yong-bok said, "This year's MAXFC tournament has been finalized. This year was a bit of a slow year after the coronavirus, but we will prepare more events to spread our wings in 2024. After watching the 22 fighters compete today, I'm confident that we can come up with something even more entertaining next year. We look forward to bringing even more entertaining fights to the fans of mixed martial arts."