Seo Soo-hyuk and Bae Sang-min will play the integrated title match starting with KMMA33 when he returns as the featherweight bantamweight provisional champion
A double champion was born in the amateur mixed martial arts (MMA) group KMMA.
At KMMA Popeye Arena in Jung-gu, Daegu, the “Popeye Union Member KMMA33 Daegu” was held on Saturday, September 20. ▲Living Sports Novice ▲Wishful amateur ▲Wishful professional semi-professional division, and played a total of 66 games.
사진 확대 KMMA welterweight champion Kim Min-kyu is taking a commemorative photo after beating middleweight champion Ko Young-hyun at the “Popeye Union Member KMMA33 Daegu” in September 2025 to win two weight classes. Photo = Standard & Progress Sports Agency
Challenger Kim Min-kyu (29, Seomyeon Team Mad) defeated middleweight champion Ko Young-hyun (24, Heybro MMA)’s first defense of the title and took the throne. In addition to the existing welterweight champion, he won the top two weights.
Kim Min-kyu is an elite athlete who won the team gold and 81kg bronze medals at the 11th East Asian Judo Federation Championships in 2018. In January 2025, he established himself as a welterweight champion through the ‘Popeye Union Member KMMA26 Daegu’. He overpowered Ko Young-hyun and dominated the two weight classes to the middle class.
The middleweight title match of “Popey Union Member KMMA33 Daegu” ended with Kim Min-kyu, a challenger who endured champion Ko Young-hyun’s strong batting firepower, winning the submission with an arm triangle following a takedown. Kim Min-kyu has won five games and no losses in KMMA.
사진 확대 KMMA welterweight champion Kim Min-kyu is facing champion Ko Young-hyun in the middleweight title match of “Popey Union Member KMMA33 Daegu,” which he participated as a challenger in September 2025. Photo = Standard & Progress Sports Agency
KMMA featherweight champion Cheon Ha-yoon (18, Jeon Wook-jin Multi-Zim) and KMMA bantamweight champion Shin Hyo-je (19, Kim Dae-hwan MMA) were unable to play due to injuries, so a provisional two-weight title match was held at the “Popeye Union Member KMMA33 Daegu.”
“Super Rookie” Seo Soo-hyuk (20, Team Mad Main Hall) showed his skills as a destructive striker and won the second round TKO against “Korean fighter” Hwang Yu-ri (27, Kingdom Asan) to become a provisional KMMA featherweight champion.
Bae Sang-min (17, Jeonggwan Timmad) was crowned the provisional champion of the KMMA bantamweight division. In a unanimous decision, he beat Jung Hae-wan (20, Kim Dae-hwan MMA) to prove why his nickname is Young Veteran. The KMMA record is 7 wins, 3 losses and 2 draws.
사진 확대 Super Rookie Seo Soo-hyuk is taking a photo to commemorate becoming the provisional KMMA featherweight champion at the “Popeye Union Member KMMA33 Daegu” in September 2025. Photo = Standard & Progress Sports Agency 
사진 확대 “Super Rookie” Seo Soo-hyuk is giving a strong kick to “Korean fighter” Hwang Yu-ri at “Popeye Union Member KMMA33 Daegu” in September 2025. Photo = Standard & Progress Sports Agency 
사진 확대 Young Veteran’s Bae Sang-min is taking a photo to commemorate becoming a provisional KMMA bantamweight champion at the “Popeye Union Member KMMA33 Daegu” in September 2025. Photo = Standard & Progress Sports Agency 
사진 확대 Young Veteran’s Bae Sang-min is destroying the center of Jung Hae-wan, the opponent of the KMMA bantamweight preliminary championship match, at the “Popeye Union Member KMMA33 Daegu” in September 2025. Photo = Standard & Progress Sports Agency
The KMMA champion is obligated to defend within two months of reaching the top. If you fail due to injury or other reasons, you will select a provisional champion. If you can’t play on the next schedule, you have to return the title. Instead, when they return afterwards, they give them the right to challenge and give them a chance to regain their throne.
It is also notable that the title matches of amateur, semi-professional, and semi-professional will be held before Novice, starting with “Popeye Union Member KMMA33 Daegu.” As it is more important than the sports competition for all, consideration is made to finish the game within 2-3 hours after the day’s countdown so that you can play in better condition.
KMMA is a group created by UFC commentator Kim Dae-hwan and former UFC, Road FC, and Spider Jiu-Jitsu commentator Jung Yong-joon. It has been held every month since October 2022 to provide Korean amateur players with experience as much as overseas.
Kim Sung-bae, chairman of the main sponsor Popeye Association, said, “The Jeju players participated in this competition, and the Japanese team that produced RTU players will also participate in the next October competition. It feels new to see KMMA go beyond Korea’s No. 1 and become an international amateur organization. I will spare no support to make the best effort for the safety of the players with the appearance of a competition worthy of this,” he vowed.
Jeju Team The King, which has Yang Yang-yong, a five-time mixed martial arts fighter in the big league, and Yoon Tae-young, who is active with 8 wins and 2 losses in Road FC, sent players to “KMMA33 Daegu”. Ishitsuna MMA has also been confirmed to participate in the “Popeye Union Member KMMA34 Daegu.”
Japan’s Ishitsuna MMA is a prestigious training team that has produced Nakanishi Tokitaka, a member of the semi-final of Road to UFC Season 3 in 2024. RTU is an Asian talent discovery project in which tournament winners are eligible for UFC regular contracts.
Players from KMMA have already entered all major organizations in Korea, including Black Kombat, Road FC, and ZFN. From 2025, Japanese competitions such as Gladiator, Wardock, and ACF are also being held to produce results.
KMMA Fighter Agency is helping these domestic and foreign professional organizations advance. Thanks to the support of Senator Popeye, he does not ask the player for agent costs.
When entering a large Japanese company that asks agents to act as various agents, such as RIZIN or K-1, 10% of the charging fees and bonuses are donated to foster KMMA’s backwardness.
The next competition of KMMA is ‘Popey Union Member KMMA34 Daegu’ on October 18 and ‘Popey Union Member K Jujitsu Championship 4’ on November 16 and is accepting applications.
KMMA is provided by the main sponsor Popeye, Manjane, Misean dummy pork soup, OPMT, Semiangdaegu branch, Dongseong-ro comic cafe Golbang, Hands Coffee Daegu Downtown branch, FILA Dongseong-ro branch, Menpower Urology department, Vitalmu Love Jiujido Bok, Kingdom Jiujitsu, Shin Jae-young team leader, Advide, Ilmere Dam, Ilmi Dam, Circle Cookie, Square Sandwich, Final Flash, Chador and Live On Media.
[Kang Daeho, MK Sports Reporter]