Young Ho Seol stops former DEEP champion Yuta Watanabe in just 58 seconds, while Yoon Kang San Shin scores a first-round kneebar submission at TFC 24: Break Through.
TFC 24: Break Through brought Korean mixed martial arts back into the spotlight on Friday, October 23, 2026, with an action-packed event at the Textile Center’s Tex+Fa Hall in Gangnam, Seoul.
The event featured a mix of experienced veterans, international competitors, and rising Korean prospects, with nine reported results highlighted by five stoppage victories.
In the main event, Kazakhstan’s Muratzhan Yusupov secured a unanimous decision victory over Korean Top Team veteran Seung Jun Lee, while Young Ho Seol delivered one of the night’s most emphatic performances, knocking out former DEEP welterweight champion Yuta Watanabe in under a minute.
Yusupov Outpoints Seung Jun Lee in Heavyweight Main Event
The evening’s headline bout saw 22-year-old Kazakh prospect Muratzhan Yusupov face 33-year-old Korean veteran Seung Jun Lee in a three-round heavyweight contest.
Yusupov entered the matchup with an unusual competitive background, having earned a silver medal in the middleweight division at the 2025 Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts (GAMMA) World Championships.
His progression through multiple weight classes has been remarkable. After competing at lightweight in 2023, welterweight in 2024, and light heavyweight as recently as September 2026, Yusupov stepped into the heavyweight division against an opponent with extensive international experience.
Lee, representing Korean Top Team, had previously competed across the United States, United Arab Emirates, China, Australia, Guam, Russia, and other international markets.
Despite the significant experience advantage held by Lee, Yusupov emerged victorious after three rounds, earning a unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards.
The result represents another important milestone in Yusupov’s transition from international amateur competition to the professional MMA scene, particularly as he continues testing himself against larger opponents.
Young Ho Seol Stops Yuta Watanabe in 58 Seconds
The co-main event produced one of the evening’s most decisive finishes.
Young Ho Seol, a former winner of the Korean combat sports reality series Fight Club and a participant in Netflix’s Physical: 100 Season 2, faced Japanese veteran Yuta Watanabe in a welterweight contest.
Watanabe entered the matchup carrying the distinction of being a former DEEP welterweight champion, bringing considerable experience from Japan’s established MMA circuit.
However, the contest lasted less than a minute.
Seol secured a first-round TKO by punches at just 0:58, delivering a statement victory over the Japanese veteran.
The matchup had also attracted attention during the official weigh-ins when Watanabe missed the contracted weight by 850 grams. According to the pre-fight report from MK Sports, the infraction resulted in a two-point penalty structure, with one point deducted in each of the first two rounds, alongside a forfeiture of 60 percent of his fight purse to Seol.
Ultimately, those penalties had little bearing on the outcome, as Seol ended the contest before the opening round reached the one-minute mark.
For Seol, the victory adds another notable name to his developing MMA résumé.
Ho Jun Lee Wins Heavyweight Grudge Match
Another highly anticipated contest featured Korean heavyweights Ho Jun Lee and Nam Shin Kim, whose pre-fight exchanges had generated attention leading into the event.
Both fighters had engaged in verbal sparring over their ages and seniority, adding a personal dimension to the matchup.
Kim, who had previously competed in boxing at Korea’s National Sports Festival, brought a striking background into the contest.
However, Ho Jun Lee ultimately secured the victory after three rounds, earning a unanimous decision over Kim.
The result gave Korean Top Team another important win on the evening, with Lee completing the full 15-minute contest to secure the judges’ verdict.
Yoon Kang San Shin Secures First-Round Kneebar
One of the night’s standout grappling performances came from Yoon Kang San Shin, who faced Jae Young Kim in a welterweight contest.
Shin secured a submission victory by kneebar at 4:25 of the opening round, becoming the only fighter among the nine reported results to finish an opponent by submission.
The victory stood out on a card otherwise dominated by striking finishes and decisions.
For Shin, the first-round submission provides another significant result as he continues building his reputation in Korea’s competitive welterweight division.
In Seo Eom and Young Hoon Lee Deliver Featherweight Finishes
The featherweight division produced two impressive stoppages.
In Seo Eom needed just 2:10 of the opening round to defeat Doo Hyuk Kang by TKO following a series of punches.
The result marked another early finish on the main card and demonstrated the finishing potential among Korea’s emerging featherweight competitors.
Elsewhere, Young Hoon Lee secured a second-round TKO victory over Min Jae Lee, finishing the contest with elbows and punches at 2:37.
The victory added to the night’s collection of stoppages and reinforced the depth of talent competing in TFC’s lighter weight divisions.
Jun Woo Kim and Gyeong Eui Cho Earn Lightweight Victories
The lightweight division featured contrasting results.
Jun Woo Kim defeated Ji Young Kim by second-round TKO, using a knee and punches to finish the contest at 1:52.
Meanwhile, Gyeong Eui Cho faced Russian competitor Igor Kim in a matchup that went the full three rounds.
Cho earned a unanimous decision after 15 minutes, securing another Korean victory in an international matchup on the main card.
Dong Hyun Kim Takes Narrow Split Decision
The evening’s reported bantamweight contest saw Dong Hyun Kim defeat Young Bo Kim by split decision.
Unlike the unanimous decisions elsewhere on the card, this matchup required a divided verdict from the judges after three rounds.
The result gave Dong Hyun Kim a closely contested victory in one of the night’s few bouts to reach the final bell without a unanimous verdict.
TFC 24: Break Through — Reported Results
| Winner | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Muratzhan Yusupov | Seung Jun Lee | UD, R3 (5:00) |
| Young Ho Seol | Yuta Watanabe | TKO (punches), R1 (0:58) |
| Ho Jun Lee | Nam Shin Kim | UD, R3 (5:00) |
| Yoon Kang San Shin | Jae Young Kim | Submission (kneebar), R1 (4:25) |
| In Seo Eom | Doo Hyuk Kang | TKO (punches), R1 (2:10) |
| Gyeong Eui Cho | Igor Kim | UD, R3 (5:00) |
| Young Hoon Lee | Min Jae Lee | TKO (elbow and punches), R2 (2:37) |
| Jun Woo Kim | Ji Young Kim | TKO (knee and punches), R2 (1:52) |
| Dong Hyun Kim | Young Bo Kim | SD, R3 (5:00) |
UD = Unanimous Decision; SD = Split Decision; TKO = Technical Knockout. The pre-fight card listed 10 bouts, but only nine final results were supplied. The scheduled Son Geon Woo vs. Seong Tae Choi contest is therefore excluded.
TFC Continues to Showcase Korea’s MMA Talent
TFC 24: Break Through demonstrated the promotion’s continued role in providing a competitive platform for Korean mixed martial artists while bringing international opponents into the domestic MMA scene.
Yusupov’s victory over Seung Jun Lee highlighted the emergence of an ambitious Kazakh prospect moving through multiple weight divisions, while Young Ho Seol’s rapid stoppage of Yuta Watanabe delivered one of the event’s most memorable results.
With five finishes across nine reported contests, the event offered a combination of explosive striking, technical submissions, and competitive decisions.
As Korean MMA continues to develop its next generation of athletes, events such as TFC 24 remain an important stage for fighters seeking to establish themselves and pursue opportunities on larger international platforms.
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