Choi Doo-ho, Yoo Ju-sang suffer back-to-back losses at UFC 331

Both fighters were favored, stunning Korean fans

Choi falls short of ranking return; Yoo drops two straight

Flyweight champion Joshua Van defends title

No. 15-ranked Patricio Pitbull (left) lands a powerful left to the face of Choi Doo-ho. Choi was knocked out in the first round after being dropped and pounded out in the featherweight main card bout at UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2, held Sunday (Korean Standard Time) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. [UFC]

It was a grim night for Korean fighters. Choi Doo-ho, 35, known as the "Korean Super Boy," squandered his first chance to re-enter the UFC rankings in eight years, while Yoo Ju-sang, 32, nicknamed "Zombie Junior," fell to a two-fight losing streak. Both had been favored to win, deepening the disappointment for fans back home. Jung Chan-sung, known as the "Korean Zombie," trains both fighters and had to watch his two pupils lose in succession.

Choi lost by first-round KO at 3 minutes 28 seconds to No. 15-ranked Patricio Pitbull, 39, of Brazil, in a featherweight main card bout at UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2, held Sunday (Korean Standard Time) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Choi struggled from the opening exchanges against Pitbull's right overhand hooks and body shots. He fired back with left uppercuts and right hooks, but Pitbull's counters were sharper. The fight turned when Choi extended a jab — Pitbull's right straight landed flush, staggering him, and a follow-up flurry of punches and ground-and-pound prompted the referee to stop the contest.

The loss ended Choi's four-fight unbeaten run (three wins, one draw) since his return in 2023 and dashed his hopes of cracking the UFC rankings for the first time since 2018. His UFC record stands at 6-1-4, with an overall record of 17-1-5.

Michael Aswell Jr. (left) lands a sharp left straight to the face of Yoo Ju-sang. Yoo was outworked on the feet throughout and lost by split decision. [UFC]

Pitbull, a former Bellator featherweight and lightweight champion, picked up his first KO victory since joining the UFC, improving his UFC record to 2-2 and his overall mark to 38-9. Despite a career that had appeared to be in decline, he engineered a dramatic revival at Choi's expense.

"Choi always moves forward like a zombie," Pitbull said after the fight. "He came into my range and I was able to finish it." He then called out No. 5-ranked featherweight Jean Silva as his next opponent.

Yoo, who fought on the undercard, fared no better. He lost to Michael Aswell Jr., 25, of the United States, by split decision after three rounds, with scores of 28-29, 29-28 and 29-28.

Yoo was under constant pressure from Aswell Jr.'s boxing throughout the fight. Aswell Jr. led 70-46 in significant strikes, powered by right overhand hooks and leg kicks. Yoo came on stronger in the third round, landing more shots and completing a takedown, but it was not enough to turn the tide.

The loss left Yoo with two straight UFC defeats, having previously been stopped by TKO against Daniel Santos in October last year. His UFC record is now 1-2, with an overall mark of 9-2. For Jung Chan-sung, who worked the corner for both fighters, it was a bitter evening as he watched both pupils lose on the same night.

UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van (left) celebrates after defeating challenger Alexandre Pantoja by decision. [UFC]

In the main event, UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van, 24, of Myanmar and the United States, successfully made the second defense of his title, defeating former champion Alexandre Pantoja, 36, of Brazil, by unanimous decision with scores of 49-46, 48-47 and 50-45.

Pantoja controlled the early rounds with a mix of striking pressure and grappling, but Van's precise striking came alive from the second round onward. He sealed the victory by dropping Pantoja with a right straight in the fifth and final round. Both fighters were named Fight of the Night and each received a $100,000 bonus.

No. 2-ranked Manel Kape has been mentioned as the leading contender to face Van next. "It doesn't matter who it is — I don't pick my opponents," Van said.

yjc@heraldcorp.com