Kang Kyung-ho (, born September 9, 1987), often anglicized Kyung Ho Kang, is a South Korean

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

who competed in the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...

bantamweight Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports and weightlifting. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In mixed martial arts, MMA, bantamweight is . The name for the class ...

division.

Background

Kang started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 2006, proceeding rapidly to mixed martial arts. He graduated from Dong-Eui University, majoring in

physical education Physical education is an academic subject taught in schools worldwide, encompassing Primary education, primary, Secondary education, secondary, and sometimes tertiary education. It is often referred to as Phys. Ed. or PE, and in the United Stat ...

and

physiology Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...

Career

Kang started his professional career in 2007. He fought mainly for international promotions, such as Spirit Martial Challenge,

Art of War ''The Art of War'' is an ancient Chinese military treatise dating from the late Spring and Autumn period (roughly 5th century BC). The work, which is attributed to the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu ("Master Sun"), is compose ...

and

DEEP Deep or The Deep may refer to: Places United States * Deep Creek (Appomattox River tributary), Virginia * Deep Creek (Great Salt Lake), Idaho and Utah * Deep Creek (Mahantango Creek tributary), Pennsylvania * Deep Creek (Mojave River tributary ...

Road Fighting Championship

Kang faced Shoko Sato in the quarterfinal match of

ROAD FC Road Fighting Championship (Road FC; ) is a South Korean-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion which was officially launched in 2010. Prior to December 2016, Road FC had held 52 events in three countries - South Korea, Japan, and China. Abou ...

bantamweight tournament on March 24, 2012, at ''Road FC 7''. He won via submission due to an armbar in the second round. In the semifinal on June 16, 2012, at ''Road FC 8'', Kang faced Jae Hoon Moon. He won via submission due to a rear-naked choke in the second round. On the same day, Kang faced Andrew Leone in the final. Once again Kang won via submission due to a rear-naked choke in round two and was crowned the first-ever Road FC bantamweight champion. In July 2012, it was announced that Kang had signed a contract to compete in the

Bantamweight Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports and weightlifting. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In mixed martial arts, MMA, bantamweight is . The name for the class ...

division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Kang was expected to face

Alex Caceres Alex Caceres (born June 20, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2008, Caceres mostly competed in his regional circuit ...

on November 10, 2012, at UFC on Fuel TV: Franklin vs. Le. However, Kang was removed from the event due to injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer Motonobu Tezuka. Kang/Caceres finally took place on March 3, 2013, at UFC on Fuel TV: Silva vs. Stann. Caceres originally won the fight via split decision, but the result was later changed to a no contest after Caceres tested positive for

marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...

. Kang faced

Chico Camus Chico Camus (born January 26, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Bantamweight division of the Legacy Fighting Alliance. A professional competitor since 2009, he has also formerly competed for the UFC, Legacy FC, ...

on August 31, 2013, at

UFC 164 ''UFC 164: Henderson vs. Pettis 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on August 31, 2013, at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Background The main event was expected to be a UFC Lightweight Championship bout between the cur ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 30–27). Kang faced

Shunichi Shimizu is a Japanese mixed martial arts and Lethwei fighter who currently competes in the bantamweight division. Career Shimizu is a veteran of the Japanese mixed martial arts scene and primarily fought in Pancrase and ZST, the latter where he earned ...

on January 4, 2014, at UFC Fight Night: Saffiedine vs. Lim. He won the fight via submission due to an arm-triangle choke in the third round. Kang was expected to face

Chris Holdsworth Chris Holdsworth (born October 24, 1987) is an American former mixed martial artist who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was the winner of '' The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate''. Mixed martial arts career Backgro ...

on May 24, 2014, at

UFC 173 ''UFC 173: Barão vs. Dillashaw'' was a mixed martial arts event held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 24, 2014. Background A Middleweight Championship bout between then champion Chris Weidman and number one contender ...

. However, Kang pulled out of the bout and was replaced by

. Kang faced

Michinori Tanaka is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes in the bantamweight division of the Legacy Fighting Alliance. A professional mixed martial artist since 2010, Tanaka has also competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mixed martial arts ca ...

on September 20, 2014, at

UFC Fight Night 52 ''UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Nelson'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 52'') was a mixed martial arts event held on September 20, 2014, at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Background The event was the third time that the organization hosted ...

. He won the fight via split decision, and both fighters would earn ''Fight of the Night'' honors for their efforts. Kang put a hold on his career to serve his two-year commitment for mandatory South Korean military service. In December 2017 he returned from hiatus to face

Guido Cannetti Guido Martín Cannetti Álvarez (born December 19, 1979) is an Argentine mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Bantamweight division. He is most notable for his stint in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Growing up, Gui ...

on January 14, 2018, at UFC Fight Night: Stephens vs. Choi. He won the fight via submission in the first round. Kang faced Ricardo Ramos on August 4, 2018, at

UFC 227 ''UFC 227: Dillashaw vs. Garbrandt 2'' was a mixed martial arts event that was produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship and held on August 4, 2018, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Background A UFC Bantamweight Championshi ...

. He lost the fight by split decision. Kang faced

Teruto Ishihara Teruto Ishihara (born July 23, 1991) is a Japanese professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who previously competed in the Featherweight (MMA), Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor s ...

on February 10, 2019, at

UFC 234 ''UFC 234: Adesanya vs. Silva'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on February 10, 2019, at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Background A UFC Middleweight Championship ...

. He won the fight via a submission in round one. Kang faced

Brandon Davis Brandon Michael Davis (born May 8, 1990) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Davis began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 20, while ...

on August 17, 2019, at

UFC 241 ''UFC 241: Cormier vs. Miocic 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 17, 2019, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Background A UFC Heavyweight Championship rematch b ...

. He won the fight via split decision. Kang faced

Liu Pingyuan Liu Pingyuan (born February 13, 1993) is a Chinese mixed martial artist (MMA), who competed in the bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Mixed martial arts career Early career Liu started his professional MMA car ...

on December 21, 2019, at

UFC on ESPN+ 23 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The large ...

. He won the fight via split decision. Kang was scheduled to face

Rani Yahya Rani Ahmad Yahya (born September 12, 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and BJJ practitioner. He won the 66 kg division of the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in April 2007. He currently fights in the Bantam ...

on July 31, 2021, at

UFC on ESPN 28 ''UFC on ESPN: Hall vs. Strickland'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 28'' and ''UFC Vegas 33'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 31, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Ne ...

. However the bout was cancelled a few hours before happening due to Yahya testing positive for COVID-19. The bout was ultimately rebooked to take place on November 20, 2021, at

UFC Fight Night 198 ''UFC Fight Night: Vieira vs. Tate'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN+ 56'', ''UFC Vegas 43'' and ''UFC Fight Night 198'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 20, 2021 at the UFC A ...

. He lost the bout via unanimous decision. Kang was scheduled to face Saimon Oliveira on June 11, 2022, at

UFC 275 ''UFC 275: Teixeira vs. Procházka'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 12, 2022, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Background A UFC Light Heavyweight Champi ...

. However, Oliveira withdrew from the event for unknown reasons and he was replaced by

Danaa Batgerel Danaa Batgerel (born July 4, 1989) is a Mongolian mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division. A professional since 2011, he is most notable for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Growing up in a rural ...

. He won the bout via unanimous decision. Kang faced Cristian Quiñonez on June 17, 2023, at UFC on ESPN 47. He won the bout in the first round, submitting Cristian via rear-naked choke in the first round after knocking him down with a punch. Kang was initially scheduled to face

John Castañeda John Castañeda (born December 18, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2012, he formerly competed for Combate Global. Ba ...

on November 18, 2023, at

UFC Fight Night 232 ''UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Craig'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 232, UFC on ESPN+ 90'' and ''UFC Vegas 82'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 18, 2023, at the UFC Apex ...

. However, the bout was shifted to take place one week earlier on November 11, 2023, at UFC 295. He lost the bout via unanimous decision. Kang faced Muin Gafurov on June 22, 2024, at UFC on ABC 6. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. On January 7, 2025, it was announced that Kang was released by the UFC.

Personal life

Kang and his wife have a son (born 2022).

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

ROAD Fighting Championship Road Fighting Championship (Road FC; ) is a South Korean-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion which was officially launched in 2010. Prior to December 2016, Road FC had held 52 events in three countries - South Korea, Japan, and China. Abou ...

** ROAD FC bantamweight title (one time) ** ROAD FC bantamweight tournament winner (2012) * Spirit Martial Challenge ** ''Go! Super-Korean'' season three winner *

** Fight of the Night (One time) vs.

Mixed martial arts record

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Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...

, Saudi Arabia , , - , Loss , align=center, ,

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Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

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Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...

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, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:59 ,

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, Australia , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–8 (1) , Ricardo Ramos , Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–7 (1) ,

, Submission (triangle choke) , UFC Fight Night: Stephens vs. Choi , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:53 ,

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center , 13–7 (1) ,

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, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center , 3 , align=center , 5:00 ,

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

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Wonju Wonju (; ) is the most populous Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in Gangwon Province, South Korea, with a population of 364,860 as of 2023. The city is located approximately east of Seoul. History During the time of Joseon, Gr ...

, South Korea , , - , Win , align=center , 10–6 , Moon Jae-hoon , Submission (rear-naked choke) , align=center , 2 , align=center , 4:27 , , - , Win , align=center , 9–6 , Shoko Sato , Submission (armbar) , Road FC 007 , , align=center , 2 , align=center , 2:38 ,

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

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Road FC 006 The year 2012 was the 3rd year in the history of the Road Fighting Championship, an MMA promotion based in South Korea. 2012 started with Road FC 006: Final 4 and ended with Road FC 010: In Busan. List of events Road FC 010: In Busan ...

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, South Korea , , - , Loss , align=center , 6–5 , Kwon Bae-young , Submission (triangle armbar) , Road FC 002 , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 4:05 ,

, South Korea , , - , Win , align=center , 6–4 , Kazutoshi Fujita , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Grachan 5 , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 2:10 ,

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Shigeki Osawa Shigeki Osawa (born May 2, 1986) is a Japanese people, Japanese professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight (MMA), featherweight division. Mixed martial arts career Background Osawa is a training pa ...

, Decision (unanimous) , World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 12 , , align=center , 3 , align=center , 5:00 ,

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Ning Guangyou Ning Guangyou () (born December 15, 1981), is a Chinese mixed martial artist who competes in the bantamweight division. He won his contract through an 8-man tournament on '' The Ultimate Fighter: China''. Mixed martial arts career Early profess ...

, Submission (triangle choke) , AOW 13 , , align=center , 1 , align=center , 7:34 ,

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, South Korea ,

Filmography

Television show

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kang, Kyung-Ho 1987 births Living people Martial artists from Busan South Korean male taekwondo practitioners South Korean ssireum practitioners South Korean practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu South Korean male mixed martial artists Bantamweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing taekwondo Mixed martial artists utilizing Ssireum Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Road Fighting Championship champions Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters 21st-century South Korean sportsmen

Background

Career

Road Fighting Championship

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Personal life

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

Filmography

Television show

See also

References

External links