“Mighty Warrior” Kang Ji Won enters his heavyweight MMA battle against Ryugo Takeuchi with supreme confidence, and he has every reason to feel that way.
The South Korean knockout artist has maintained a perfect finishing rate in his professional career, and he aims to keep that streak alive at ONE Fight Night 34: Eersel vs. Jarvis on Prime Video, which broadcasts live in U.S. primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, August 1.
Kang has been paying close attention to his 22-year-old opponent. Takeuchi enjoyed a flawless start to his professional career in 2024, winning all four of his bouts in Japan’s DEEP promotion via TKO. He even tied the fastest stoppage in the organization’s history, finishing Black Tiger in five seconds.
But Takeuchi fell in his ONE Championship debut this past April, displaying heart in his tough loss to British hard-hitter Paul Elliott.
After thoroughly studying the footage and witnessing his Japanese rival’s striking power, takedown ability, and ground-and-pound capabilities, Kang thinks he has found the key to victory at ONE Fight Night 34.
He said:
“Based on the tapes that I’ve seen, Ryugo Takeuchi tends to come in strong at the beginning. As long as I am careful at the start, I don’t see much difficulty moving forward with the fight.”
There’s substance behind that confidence. Kang has never needed the judges in a ONE Championship win – all four of those victories came by way of knockout or TKO, earning him a fearsome reputation among heavyweights.
The South Korean’s promotional debut was thrilling, as he swept Iranian wrestler Mehdi Barghi from the bottom position, advanced to mount, and secured the TKO in February 2021. A month later, he caught Greco-Roman Wrestling World Champion Amir Aliakbari with a counter left hook in less than two minutes.
Although other elite grapplers – like undefeated phenom Ben Tynan – exposed his ground game and defeated him, Kang would always return stronger than ever.
Following his first career loss, Kang bounced back by knocking out Elliott in just 58 seconds in March 2022. And after Tynan beat him, “Mighty Warrior” returned as an even more polished version of himself when he stopped Mikhail Abdul-Latif in their heavyweight MMA battle in January 2024.
Kang’s impressive finishing ability stems from a philosophy that keeps things simple – stick to what works instead of changing everything for each fight.
The South Korean explained:
“My style focuses on counters with lots of movement in between. I think as long as I do what I do best, the result should be good.”
Kang Ji Won Reveals His Tactical Fighting Philosophy
Kang Ji Won’s confidence runs deeper than his knockout victories, and he has found success with a straightforward approach.
When he steps into the ring against Ryugo Takeuchi for their heavyweight MMA battle at ONE Fight Night 34, he’ll stick to the same tool that’s served him well against wrestlers and strikers alike.
The 29-year-old knockout artist explained:
“I’m a mixed martial artist. If I am facing a striker, I’ll focus more on my striking to work things out on that end, and if I am facing a wrestler or a grappler, I will focus on my striking as I defend takedowns or grappling exchanges.”
A flawless 100 percent finishing rate, including four stoppage wins in ONE Championship, could easily go to a fighter’s head. But Kang is humble and keeps grinding in the gym.
The Wang Ho product treats every training session like he’s still trying to prove himself, constantly tweaking his approach rather than simply maintaining his current level.
The heavyweight brawler added:
“I’m good with my movement, capitalizing on my speed while maintaining the pace. I feel like I still have much to work on, though. Because I never feel content, I give it my all in making sure I put sufficient time and effort into every aspect of fighting.”
