'Grateful to my gym family and sponsors who cared for me'
Shim Geon-o (35), a heavyweight fighter who spent the bulk of his career with Road FC under Kim Dae-hwan MMA, has announced his retirement.
Shim shared the news on social media. "I was happy to have trained at a great gym, made wonderful memories and met wonderful people over more than 10 years," he wrote. "Although I am retiring now, I want to thank the Kim Dae-hwan MMA family who cared for me and everyone who supported me."
"I was happy to have competed in 16 fights, going 7-8-1," he added. "It is a shame to leave an organization that was a lighthouse when life felt uncertain, but I was so happy to have met so many great people through Road FC."
Shim's final bout came May 30 at Road FC 077, held at Jangchung Arena in Seoul, where he lost to matchmaker Han Seok-ju by TKO via ground-and-pound at 2 minutes 8 seconds of the first round. The defeat appears to have cemented his decision to retire.
Shim came up through "Jumeogi ga Unda," a combat sports audition program. A decorated elite wrestler and national athletics gold medalist, he turned professional in 2014 after Road FC chairman Jeong Moon-hong offered him a debut contract.
While he never quite lived up to the lofty expectations that came with his elite wrestling pedigree, Shim compiled a respectable record despite persistent knee and back injuries. Fifteen of his 16 professional bouts were fought under the Road FC banner.
yjc@heraldcorp.com
