Kwon Won Il is looking to get back-to-back wins by taking out Artem Belakh at ONE Fight Night 11. The bantamweight scrap goes down tonight inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. But the match is just part of Kwon’s focus after building his own business in Seoul.
Kwon Won II Eyes Title Picture Ahead of ONE Fight Night 11
The ONE Championship bantamweight picture has a clear champion after Fabricio Andrade defeated John Lineker. However, the challengers rushing to earn a shot are jockeying for position. And that is Kwon’s focus ahead of the three-round bout in Bangkok.
“Artem seems like a good guy. He’s too nice to provoke. In my opinion, his main strength is his physical power. However, he lacks speed, and I possess a greater range of skills. To excel in my strengths, I focused on improving my striking skills. Since my opponent is strong and good at wrestling, I also trained to defend against wrestling techniques,” Kwon told ONE.
The South Korean has plans to earn a rematch against Andrade. Now that “Wonder Boy” is atop the division as the ONE Bantamweight World Champion, Kwon knows he needs to impress to get the opportunity. But with a 100% finishing rate, “Pretty Boy” is confident another highlight-reel finish can get him a chance to challenge the Brazilian.
“In ONE Championship, all my wins have been finishes. Of course, there will be a finish this time, and this time, I will work harder to get a performance bonus. Just watch the fight. I’ll finish it in the second round. Then a Fabricio Andrade rematch will be next,” Kwon said.
Outside of the ring, Kwon has been putting the finishing touches on his first business. The bantamweight athlete has recently opened his own gym in Seoul. P-BOY MMA has opened its doors to the next wave of South Korean talent looking to make their mark on the sport.
“I have been busy with my business lately. I recently opened a gym called P-BOY MMA. I have always dreamed of being an entrepreneur. The gym is just the beginning. I always enjoy new challenges. There have been no difficulties for me [opening the gym]. If they happen, I just laugh them off and overcome them,” Kwon recounted.
“Pretty Boy” is setting the tone at his gym by leading by example and not playing the role of an overbeating trainer. Kwon wants his athletes to be passionate about what they are doing. That is why he is not forcing their hand and keeping things light within the walls of P-BOY MMA.
“I already have my own team, but I have no expectations. I just want everyone to be happy and enjoy training. The motto of my gym is, ‘Slow but solid.’ P-BOY MMA is a gym where everyone can come and enjoy it without any stress,” Kwon said.
ONE Fight Night 11 airs live from Bangkok tonight. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Prime Video. The event is free for all Amazon Prime members based in the U.S. and Canada.
