Choi Hong-man
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| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Realname | Choi Hong-man |
| Nickname | The Techno Goliath |
| Height | 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in) |
| Weight | 165.4 kg (364 lb) |
| Nationality |  Republic of Korea |
| Birth date | October 30, 1980 |
| Birth place | Jeju, South Korea |
| Style | Ssirum |
| Team | {{{team}}} |
| Kickboxing Record | |
| Total fights | 12 |
| Wins | 9 |
| Wins by KO | 5 |
| Losses | 3 |
| Draws | 0 |
Choi, Hong-man (South Korean born on October 30, 1980)) is a Korean kickboxer and former ssirum wrestler. He currently competes in K-1. He debuted in K-1 fighting at the World GP 2005 event in Seoul in March, 2005, which he won in the final vs. Kaoklai Kaennorsing. In the Final Elimination he defeated Bob Sapp with a 2-0 decision, eventually losing to Remy Bonjasky in the World Grand Prix Final.
Choi Hong Man's only losses came via judges' decision against Remy Bonjasky and Jérome Le Banner
He got his nickname "Techno Goliath" when he was a ssirum wrestler in South Korea, before he became a K1 fighter. When Choi won he would dance to techno music. His dancing excited the crowd and they often joined in the dancing. His entertaining style and size quickly made him popular with the fans.
One of Choi's most notable fights was against current K-1 World Champion Semmy Schilt at the World GP 2006 event in Seoul. Choi won the fight on points. The fight was unique because both fighters are of enormous size.
On September 30, 2006, Choi fought Jérôme Le Banner in the final eliminations, and lost after 3 Rounds and 1 extra Round on points. After the fight, Le Banner said "He is dangerous, his knees are already almost at the level of my head, he's not human! But he's a good guy and I like him, he's very tough, maybe the strongest guy in K-1, and he has hard bones -- when I kicked him, it hurt my leg! I'm sure with more experience, in two years no one will be able to knock him out!" [1]
On December 31, Choi easily won his first Mixed martial arts fight on K-1 Dynamite in Osaka. He decisively beat former TV star Bobby Ologun in just 16 seconds in what could be considered a huge mismatch. [2]
On March 4, 2007, he was knocked out for the first time in his career. Mighty Mo landed a overhand right to the chin and Choi was not able to stand up again. In this fight he weighed 165.4 kg (364 lb), was very slow and many say it was his worst performance. [3]
Choi Hong-man is reportedly fighting former WWE champ/NCAA national champion amateur wrestler Brock Lesnar at the combined promotion event “Softbank presents DYNAMITE!! USA in association with ProElite,” a major pay-per-view event at the massive Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, on June 2, 2007. [4]
[edit] Titles and Accomplishments
- 2003: Jinan Competition '03
- 2003: The General Championship '03
- 2004: Jungwal Competition '04
- 2004: Hamyang Competition '04
- 2005: K-1 WORLD GP 2005 in Seoul Champion
