SEOUL – Mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and television personality Choo Sung-hoon will temporarily halt broadcasting activities in preparation for the final fight of his professional fighting career.
The 51-year-old Korean-Japanese rose to prominence after appearing in the first season of South Korean extreme survival show, Physical: 100, in 2023.
He is also known by his Japanese name Yoshihiro Akiyama and by his moniker Sexyama.
According to media reports on Aug 20, Choo is set to compete at Black Combat 17, an MMA event scheduled for Nov 21 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.
The bout will mark the end of Choo’s career as a professional fighter. He is currently focused on training and plans to minimise appearances on entertainment shows and other broadcast programmes until the fight.
This does not mean Choo will disappear from television entirely. Programmes that were filmed before he began preparations for the fight are expected to be released as scheduled.
Web variety show The Boss Is Crazy, which featured Choo and South Korean comedienne Lee Eun-ji, was released on Aug 19.
The programme follows Choo, who has himself pursued business ventures, as he visits companies with growth potential and takes part in their management for a day.
Choo will also appear in travelogue A Real Man’s Travel Guide, scheduled to air in October. He will reunite with South Korean singer Kim Jong-kook after the pair previously appeared together in A Real Man’s Travel Guide In Kyushu.
A former judoka, Choo transitioned to MMA and competed in promotions including K-1 Hero’s, the UFC and ONE Championship before expanding his career into television. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK