Overview
Born on March 3, 1978, Jong Man Kim is a South Korean professional mixed martial artist who represented Korean Top Team throughout much of his career.
Standing 5’7″ (171 cm), he primarily competed between featherweight and lightweight, although he also fought at welterweight during portions of his early career.
Jong Man Kim amassed a professional record of 23 wins, 11 losses, 3 draws, and 1 no contest before stepping away from active competition. His final professional appearance came at TOP FC 1 in June 2013, where he defeated Sung Hwa Han by second-round TKO, ending his career on a two-fight winning streak.
Unlike many fighters who built their records primarily on domestic competition, Jong Man Kim regularly traveled to Japan and Russia to test himself against internationally recognized opponents during a period when Korean MMA had limited promotional opportunities.
Early Life & Background
Publicly available information regarding Jong Man Kim’s childhood and introduction to martial arts remains limited. Like many members of Korea’s first generation of professional MMA athletes, much of his career predates the widespread media coverage and athlete documentation seen today.
Jong Man Kim emerged during the early 2000s as one of the leading competitors from Korean Top Team, a gym that became instrumental in developing many of Korea’s internationally recognized mixed martial artists. Training alongside some of the country’s best fighters helped shape his grappling-oriented approach and prepared him for frequent international competition against Japanese promotions.
Fighting Style
Jong Man Kim built his success around technical grappling and submission hunting rather than knockout power.
Of his 23 professional victories:
- 14 wins by submission
- 5 wins by knockout/TKO
- 4 wins by decision
His submission arsenal included armbars, guillotines, heel hooks, kneebars, and triangle chokes, demonstrating versatility both on top and off his back. During Korea’s formative MMA years, Jong Man Kim became known for his aggressive pursuit of finishes, particularly against domestic competition.
Although he possessed capable striking, his ground game remained the defining characteristic of his career.
Professional Career
Kim made his professional debut in 2003 and quickly established himself as one of Korea’s most active fighters. Between 2003 and 2004, he competed extensively on the domestic circuit, rapidly building experience while compiling an impressive winning streak through numerous submission victories.
His success earned opportunities against increasingly elite international opposition. Throughout the late 2000s, Kim competed in respected organizations including:
- K-1 HERO’S
- Sengoku
- DEEP
- Cage Force
- M-1 Challenge
- FMC
- TOP FC
During this period he shared the cage with several fighters who would become internationally recognized stars, including Hatsu Hioki, Masakazu Imanari, Hideo Tokoro, Masanori Kanehara, and Akiyo Nishiura. While many of these contests resulted in losses, they highlighted Kim’s willingness to consistently challenge world-class opposition at a time when few Korean fighters had access to international competition.
After several years away from competition, Kim returned in 2013 for TOP FC 1, defeating Sung Hwa Han via second-round TKO before retiring from professional MMA.
Career Highlights
- Professional MMA record of 23-11-3 (1 NC).
- Competed professionally for approximately a decade.
- Represented Korean Top Team throughout his career.
- Recorded 14 submission victories, showcasing one of the strongest grappling résumés among Korean fighters of his generation.
- Defeated future Shooto champion Hatsu Hioki in 2007.
- Competed in prestigious organizations including K-1 HERO’S, Sengoku, DEEP, Cage Force, M-1 Challenge, and TOP FC.
- Finished his professional career with a victory at TOP FC 1 in 2013.
Summary & Trajectory
Jong Man Kim may not be the most recognizable name to modern MMA fans, but his influence on early Korean mixed martial arts is significant. He competed during a period when Korean fighters often had to travel abroad to find meaningful competition and consistently accepted difficult matchups against some of Japan’s best talent.
His combination of technical grappling, durability, and willingness to face elite opposition helped establish the credibility of Korean Top Team and Korea’s early professional MMA scene. While newer generations have benefited from larger promotions and greater international exposure, fighters like Jong Man Kim helped build the foundation that made those opportunities possible.
Jong Man Kim belongs to the pioneering generation of Korean mixed martial artists who helped establish the country's early professional MMA scene before the rapid growth of promotions such as ROAD FC, TOP FC, and Black Combat. Although many modern fans may only recognize his later appearances in TOP FC or K-1 HERO'S, Kim built one of the more accomplished domestic records of his era, finishing his career with a 23-11-3 (1 NC) professional record while competing against many of Japan's elite featherweights and lightweights.
Known by the nickname "Special Force," Kim developed a reputation as a submission specialist with excellent positional grappling and a willingness to compete anywhere. More than 60 percent of his professional victories came by submission, reflecting the grappling-heavy style that characterized many early Korean Top Team fighters. While he never reached a major international title promotion, his willingness to face elite opponents including Hatsu Hioki, Masakazu Imanari, Hideo Tokoro, Akiyo Nishiura, and Masanori Kanehara makes his résumé one of the strongest among Korean veterans of the 2000s.
Sang Kwon Han
Dae Hwan Kim
Yong Soo Jung
