ZEUS FC 17 delivered nine finishes across 14 fights in Cheongju, with Young Han Kim becoming South Korea’s first men’s strawweight MMA champion and Chan Woo Jang successfully defending his flyweight crown.
ZEUS Fighting Championship returned to Cheongju, South Korea, on October 24, 2026, for ZEUS FC 17: Why So Serious, delivering an action-packed event featuring two championship bouts, dramatic knockouts, and several impressive submissions.
Held at Olympus Arena, the event featured 14 fights across its preliminary and main cards, with nine contests ending by knockout, technical knockout, or submission.
The evening’s biggest moment belonged to Young Han Kim, who defeated Do Han Jung to capture the inaugural ZEUS FC Strawweight Championship, making history as the first men’s strawweight MMA champion in South Korea.
Meanwhile, reigning flyweight champion Chan Woo Jang successfully defended his title against Afghanistan’s Salman Khan, securing a first-round technical knockout in the co-main event.
The event also featured several notable performances from South Korea’s developing MMA talent, including impressive finishes from Ji Hoon Bae, Yun Woo Kim, and Tae Hyung Kim.
Young Han Kim Makes History With Strawweight Championship Victory
The main event featured a historic championship showdown between Young Han Kim, nicknamed “Dark Knight,” and Do Han Jung, known as “Joker.”
The matchup marked the first men’s strawweight championship contest in South Korean MMA history, with the inaugural ZEUS FC title at 52 kilograms on the line.
After three rounds of competition, Kim emerged victorious by majority decision, with the judges scoring the contest 29-28, 29-28, and 28-28.
The result crowned Kim as the promotion’s first strawweight champion and established a new milestone for the domestic MMA scene.
While strawweight competition has long been established in women’s MMA, the men’s division has received considerably less attention from major international promotions.
ZEUS FC’s decision to introduce a men’s strawweight championship provides another competitive opportunity for smaller athletes seeking to establish themselves professionally.
For Kim, the victory represents both a personal achievement and a place in South Korean MMA history.
Chan Woo Jang Defends Flyweight Crown With First-Round TKO
The co-main event saw reigning ZEUS FC Flyweight Champion Chan Woo Jang, nicknamed “Supersonic,” put his championship on the line against Afghan challenger Salman Khan.
Jang entered the contest as the promotion’s inaugural flyweight champion and delivered an emphatic performance to retain his title.
The South Korean secured a technical knockout through punches at 3:10 of the opening round, successfully completing his first championship defense.
The result reinforced Jang’s standing as one of ZEUS FC’s leading flyweights and demonstrated his ability to finish opponents on the championship stage.
Following the victory, Jang expressed confidence in his position as champion and his intention to continue defending the belt.
For Khan, the defeat ended his opportunity to capture the title, while Jang strengthened his position at the top of the promotion’s flyweight division.
Tae Hyung Kim Delivers Rare Scottish Twister Submission
One of the evening’s most unusual finishes came in the bantamweight matchup between Tae Hyung Kim, nicknamed “Anaconda,” and Min Joon Kim, known as “Van Tiger.”
The contest ended at 4:10 of the second round, when Tae Hyung Kim secured a Scottish Twister submission.
The technique is rarely seen in professional MMA, making the finish one of the event’s standout grappling moments.
The bout also featured a point deduction against Min Joon Kim for illegally grabbing his opponent’s glove during the second round.
Despite the foul, Tae Hyung Kim ultimately settled the contest without needing the judges, earning a memorable submission victory.
The finish added to an evening that featured several successful submission attacks across multiple weight divisions.
Yun Woo Kim Secures Anaconda Choke Victory
Another notable grappling performance came from Yun Woo Kim, nicknamed “Red Bear,” who faced Jung Han Lee in lightweight competition.
Kim ended the contest with an anaconda choke at 2:08 of the second round, earning a submission victory.
Following the finish, Kim called out Jae Hwan Seo, known as “Predator,” signaling his interest in another competitive matchup.
The victory added another submission finish to a main card that showcased a variety of grappling techniques.
Ji Hoon Bae Scores Spectacular Spinning Elbow Finish
Ji Hoon Bae delivered one of the event’s most impressive striking performances against Ho Sung Joo in their featherweight matchup.
Bae secured a technical knockout at 2:09 of the opening round, using a spinning back elbow followed by ground-and-pound to bring the contest to an end.
The finish provided one of the night’s most memorable striking sequences and gave Bae an emphatic victory.
Following the contest, Bae called out Sung Uk Yoon, known as “Budweiser,” potentially setting up another matchup in the regional featherweight scene.
Young Soo Ko Submits Ho Chul Jeon in Opening Round
In welterweight competition, Young Soo Ko, nicknamed “Baeksa,” defeated Ho Chul Jeon, known as “Pac-Man,” by submission.
Ko secured a kneebar at 2:40 of the first round, ending the contest before the opening five minutes had elapsed.
The victory demonstrated Ko’s submission ability and added another early finish to the main card.
Following the bout, Ko called out Ji Hoo Kwon, who had also recorded a victory earlier in the evening.
The potential matchup could provide an intriguing future contest between two welterweights coming off successful performances.
Sung Kwan Park and Young Jun Bang Add Main Card Victories
Flyweight competitor Sung Kwan Park, known as “Spectre,” earned a unanimous decision victory over Jung Woo Bae.
Park secured all three judges’ scorecards, winning 3-0 after the scheduled rounds.
In bantamweight action, Young Jun Bang delivered a more decisive result against Hwan Hyun Lee, nicknamed “Checkmate.”
Bang secured a rear-naked choke submission at 2:38 of the opening round, adding another first-round finish to the event.
Following his victory, Bang revealed that he may have injured a finger while applying the submission.
Preliminary Card Produces Explosive Finishes
The preliminary card also featured several noteworthy performances, including one of the fastest knockouts of the night.
Yu Hong Lim, nicknamed “Reaper,” needed just 17 seconds to knock out Min Jung Kim with punches in their bantamweight matchup.
The victory was particularly significant for Lim, who expressed satisfaction at finally securing the type of knockout finish he had been pursuing since beginning his MMA career.
Lim also called out the winner of the Min Joon Kim versus Tae Hyung Kim matchup.
Elsewhere, Dong Min Jang secured a first-round knockout against Young Hyun Ko in middleweight competition.
The stoppage came at 1:40 of the opening round, with Jang finishing the contest through punches and follow-up ground strikes.
Ko temporarily lost consciousness following the knockout but reportedly recovered after receiving emergency medical attention.
Welterweight Ji Hoo Kwon also delivered an impressive performance, defeating Yong Joo Lim by technical knockout through punches at 2:23 of the second round.
Following his victory, Kwon called out inaugural ZEUS FC Welterweight Champion Ji Hwan Park, making his championship ambitions clear.
Soo Oh Kim, Sung Jun Yoo, and In Hyuk Ahn Earn Decision Wins
Not every preliminary contest ended with a finish.
In featherweight competition, Soo Oh Kim, known as “Guardian,” defeated Ho Won Jung, nicknamed “Karate Psycho,” by unanimous decision.
Kim later revealed that he believed he had injured his hand during the opening round, limiting his ability to throw punches in the second.
At a 70-kilogram catchweight, Sung Jun Yoo defeated Hyung Jun Kwon by majority decision, with the judges scoring the contest 2-0.
The matchup had undergone adjustments ahead of the event, with Kwon agreeing to the revised weight arrangement.
In another catchweight contest, In Hyuk Ahn defeated Tae Hwan Kim by unanimous decision.
The bout took place at 59 kilograms, with Tae Hwan Kim receiving a two-point deduction per round following a weigh-in failure.
After the contest, tensions emerged between Ahn and Chang Hyun Ryu, potentially creating another storyline for the promotion.
ZEUS FC 17 Showcases Depth of Korean MMA
Beyond the two championship contests, ZEUS FC 17 demonstrated the variety of talent competing across South Korea’s regional MMA scene.
The event featured finishes through spinning strikes, punches, rear-naked chokes, anaconda chokes, a kneebar, and the uncommon Scottish Twister submission.
The championship performances of Young Han Kim and Chan Woo Jang provided the evening’s defining moments, while several emerging fighters used their victories to call out future opponents.
For ZEUS FC, the introduction of a men’s strawweight championship represents an important development as the organization continues creating opportunities across additional weight divisions.
With 14 bouts, nine finishes, and two championship results, ZEUS FC 17 delivered a significant night for the promotion and its growing roster of South Korean fighters.
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