'I refuse to go to UFC. Here's why'

Kim Soo-chul

By Jung Min-ho

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the world’s largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion, may be a dream league for some fighters, but it never has been that for Kim Soo-chul.

Over the past few years, some agents offered the bantamweight fighter of Road FC, Korea’s largest MMA organization, a chance to join the UFC, saying there would be bigger opportunities for his career there, but Kim turned them down.

He said he learned an important lesson from other Korean fighters who already fought in the UFC Octagon.

“I have seen some good and bad outcomes,” he said in an interview. “While some fighters made successful careers there, others tasted failure and never bounced back.

“The UFC can make fighters famous for sure, but fame is a double-edged sword. It can make them famous winners and famous losers. I just think it is unwise to see fighting there only as an opportunity without thinking about risks.”

In short, Kim said, he has not tried to fight in the UFC because the promotion does not offer proper compensation for Korean fighters.

According to Road FC, where most Korean fighters start their careers, they usually have to sign a two-year UFC contract, in which they get three fights and receive about 8 million won ($7,100) a fight.

“It’s just a bad deal, especially for top fighters,” Kim said. According to Road FC, he receives about 10 million won to 30 million won a fight, depending on the opponent’s level.

With a record of 14 wins, five losses and one draw, Kim is considered one of the best bantamweight fighters in Asia. He has won seven out of his past eight fights, with one draw, knocking out former UFC fighters including Jumabieke Tuerxun, Wagner Campos and Motonobu Tezuka, all in the first round.

He believes Korean fighters need a strong, independent MMA league for themselves in their own country. “Japan’s Pride FC used to be the dream league for every Korean fighter. But did you see what happened to them when the organization shut down in 2007? They were all lost,” he said, adding that the same thing will happen if the UFC fails.

“They need a league where they can map out a long-term plan as both fighters and coaches. This is another big reason why I’m staying here.”

Yet he didn’t completely rule out the possibility of fighting in the UFC. “I can go there, but only if the UFC pays me reasonably well,” he said. “But I just don’t think it ever will.”