'First belt in 11 years — thank you for waiting'
Narrowly defeated Park Seo-young calls for December rematch
Park Jung-eun, 30, of Strong MMA — long regarded as one of the top competitors in the women's atomweight division — finally captured the Road FC championship belt she had long dreamed of.
Park claimed the atomweight title at Goobnae Road FC 077, held Friday at Jangchung Arena in Seoul, defeating Park Seo-young, 23, of Road FC Gunsan by unanimous decision.
Since her Road FC debut in 2015, Park Jung-eun has consistently ranked among the top competitors in the women's division. Touted as a standout prospect from early in her career, she steadily built her résumé across both the Road FC circuit and the Japanese MMA scene.
She had challenged for the title twice before — in 2018 and 2021 — but lost both bouts by decision. In 2023, she was named interim atomweight champion after the title was vacated, but was never recognized as undisputed champion because no unification bout was held.
A herniated disc and an orbital fracture then forced her out of competition for three years. The injuries left her struggling to walk, and her fighting career appeared to be in serious jeopardy.
Park refused to quit. She focused on rehabilitation, consistently working to restore her body, and ultimately the effort paid off.
"I only now truly understand how happy it is to be able to fight when you have the desire to fight," she said after the victory. "I wanted to show everyone what I was really capable of, and I did. For three years I couldn't even walk properly because of my injuries, so becoming the undisputed champion feels incredible. Thank you so much for waiting."
Park Seo-young issued an immediate challenge once the bout was over. Moments after the final bell, she called for a rematch in December.
Park Jung-eun said she would keep the door open. "She fought so well — she was truly impressive, and I know there were moments where she had the upper hand," she said. "But part of it was also my strategy. I have my own plans, so please wait — I'll consider a December bout."
yjc@heraldcorp.com
