Kazakh bantamweight league fighter Naiza FC and DAR Pro Team captain Zhuman Zhumabekov (11-5) will return to the cage at the organization's 37th tournament next month. The bbabo.net correspondent spoke about the upcoming fight and further prospects for a title rematch.
The 32-year-old fighter became the champion of Naiza FC in the weight up to 61 kilograms in February last year, knocking out the Russian fighter Vadim Malygin (14-7-1) in the first round. However, the very first defense of the belt turned out to be unsuccessful for Zhumabekov - he lost by knockout in the second round to the challenger from Kyrgyzstan Aizhigit Erkebay Uulu (6-1).
Seven months later, Zhuman will return to the cage to get the win and return to the title race. Now his opponent will be Su Yong Yu (7-2) from South Korea, nicknamed Super Korean, for whom this will be the first experience of playing in the Naiza FC league, and in Kazakhstan as a whole. Previously, he fought in his homeland in the Top Fighting league Championship (TFC), where he fought on the same card with future UFC champion Zhang Weili (21-3) in the Zeus Fighting Championship (ZFC), where he became the champion. He fought one fight in Japan at the Pancrase tournament, and the last - in the UAE at the UAE Warriors league event at the end of October last year. This will be his third fight in other countries.
Su Yong has seven wins and two losses. He has a good level of jiu-jitsu, as evidenced by four victories by tricks. He won twice more by knockout and once by decision. He suffered his first defeat in the opening when he was 18 years old. He lost by unanimous decision, and then returned to the cage only three years later. In the last fight at the UAE Warriors, he lost for the second time in his career, breaking a series of seven wins. Then he lost to the undefeated Tajik fighter Sarvarjon Khamidov (12-0).
Su Yong's favorite technique is rear naked choke, with which he forced three opponents to capitulate. As for Zhumabekov, he lost by surrender only once, and it happened after twisting the heel. More often than not, the Kazakhstani conceded by knockout - three times.
For Zhumabekov, this is a difficult opponent, by no means a passing one. In the Tapology rankings, Su Yong is the third strongest Korean bantamweight. No one has yet managed to defeat him ahead of schedule, and in his mature fighting age he lost only to the unbeaten Khamidov.
The six-year age difference is also not in favor of the ex-champion Naiza FC. But on the other hand, at this age, experience, 16 fights in MMA, fights according to the rules of professional boxing. Zhuman is also good in jiu-jitsu, because during his career he choked his opponents four times in different ways. The duel between Zhumabekov and Su Yong will be the co-main event of the evening at the Naiza FC 37 tournament. threatened the champion Erkebai Uulu with revenge.
If Zhuman manages to show superiority and use all his experience, especially in the home arena in Almaty, then he will pave the way for a chance to regain the title and the title of champion. But it is already clear that a fighter from Korea is not an easy opponent, and the Naiza FC league can be praised for signing such a high-class fighter.
Note that the vacant welterweight belt will be contested in the main event of the evening. In a duel, Kazakh from Russia Serik Razgaliev (7-1) and undefeated Kazakhstani Mansur Shakhgireev (3-0) will meet. Tickets for the tournament, which will be held on March 5 at the Almaty Arena, can be purchased at this link. Prices start from three thousand tenge.
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