Kim Sang-wook from the Navy’s Special Forces’ appearance in ‘Physical 100’
Road to UFC Season 2·4 Participation
RTU4 Runs Again
Kiril Horovets vs. welterweight fight
World Martial Arts Championship No. 1
Kym Sang-wook’s colleague Yun Chang-min also lost to Havas MMA

On Saturday, June 20, the MMA (MMA) competition AFC 41 will be held in a special cage at the five-star hotel The Grand Hojam in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. A total of seven games will be played from 8 p.m. Korean time.

Kim Sang-wook (33, Havas MMA) will compete with Kirill Horovets (32, Ukraine) at the welterweight (77 kg) in the fifth AFC 41st game. After failing to advance to the UFC, he resumed his fighter activities in 140 days (4 months and 20 days).

Road to UFC season 4 lightweight runner-up Kim Sang-wook will compete with Grappling European Championship gold medalist Kirill Horovets in mixed martial arts welterweight through AFC 41 at a special cage at the five-star Hotel The Grand Hojam in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in June 2026. 사진=Cocky Buffalo 사진 확대 Road to UFC season 4 lightweight runner-up Kim Sang-wook will compete with Grappling European Championship gold medalist Kirill Horovets in mixed martial arts welterweight through AFC 41 at a special cage at the five-star Hotel The Grand Hojam in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in June 2026. 사진=Cocky Buffalo 'Physical: 100' Kim Sang-wook is preparing to participate in the Road to UFC season 4 lightweight final at Sydney Superdome in January 2026. If the Asian talent search project RTU is won, it will sign a formal contract with the UFC. Photo = TKO 사진 확대 ‘Physical: 100’ Kim Sang-wook is preparing to participate in the Road to UFC season 4 lightweight final at Sydney Superdome in January 2026. If the Asian talent search project RTU is won, it will sign a formal contract with the UFC. Photo = TKO

It is the first match since the runner-up of the 4th lightweight (70kg) tournament in the Road to UFC season 4 of the Asian talent discovery project. “I’ll trust my team, Havas MMA, and win for sure. “Just keep going,” he said, renewing his determination to shake off the aftermath of the failure of the regular contract for the No. 1 mixed martial arts group.

▲UFC ▲ Professional Fighters League (USA) ▲ Absolute Championship Akhmat (Russia) ▲ Raizin (Japan) ▲ ONE Championship (Singapore) will be grouped into major groups. Kirill Horovets has one loss in the ACA and one championship win and two losses.

Profile of Kirill Horovets One Championship. She is a gold medalist in the category of not wearing uniform at the 2015 World Wrestling Federation Grappling European Championships. 사진=Group One Holdings Pte. Ltd. 사진 확대 Profile of Kirill Horovets One Championship. She is a gold medalist in the category of not wearing uniform at the 2015 World Wrestling Federation Grappling European Championships. 사진=Group One Holdings Pte. Ltd. Kirill Horovets 2023 3rd World Martial Arts Championship Men's Pan Kration 84 kg Gold Medal Award Ceremony. Photo = International Wrestling Federation 사진 확대 Kirill Horovets 2023 3rd World Martial Arts Championship Men’s Pan Kration 84 kg Gold Medal Award Ceremony. Photo = International Wrestling Federation

△Gold in the category of not wearing uniform at the 2015 Grappling European Championships △ Gold in the men’s pankrathion 84kg gold medal at the 2023 World Martial Arts Championships is also noteworthy.

Kirill Horovets’ last big league appearance so far was a 1-2 decision loss to Yoon Chang-min (32, Havas MMA) at ONE Friday Fights 9 at Roompini Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Yoon Chang-min faces Kirill Horovets ahead of the ONE Friday Fights 9 MMA match at Roompini Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, in March 2023. 사진=Group One Holdings Pte. Ltd. 사진 확대 Yoon Chang-min faces Kirill Horovets ahead of the ONE Friday Fights 9 MMA match at Roompini Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, in March 2023. 사진=Group One Holdings Pte. Ltd. Yoon Chang-min and Kirill Horovets await the announcement of the results of the judgment after the 5 minutes×3 round match of ONE Friday Fights 9 MMA at Roompini Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, in March 2023. 사진=Group One Holdings Pte. Ltd. 사진 확대 Yoon Chang-min and Kirill Horovets await the announcement of the results of the judgment after the 5 minutes×3 round match of ONE Friday Fights 9 MMA at Roompini Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, in March 2023. 사진=Group One Holdings Pte. Ltd. Road to UFC season 4 lightweight runner-up Kim Sang-wook will compete with Grappling European Championship gold medalist Kirill Horovets in mixed martial arts welterweight through AFC 41 at a special cage at Vietnam's five-star hotel The Grand Hojam in June 2026. 사진=Angel‘s Fighting Championship 사진 확대 Road to UFC season 4 lightweight runner-up Kim Sang-wook will compete with Grappling European Championship gold medalist Kirill Horovets in mixed martial arts welterweight through AFC 41 at a special cage at Vietnam’s five-star hotel The Grand Hojam in June 2026. 사진=Angel‘s Fighting Championship

Yoon Chang-min is a semi-final member of the One Championship 7-2 and Road to UFC Season 4 featherweight (66 kg) tournament. Havas MMA met Kirill Horovets again. Kim Sang-wook personally knows well because it was the first matchup in 582 days (1 year, 7 months and 5 days) since the AFC 35 match failed in November 2024.

Kim Sang-wook, who fulfilled his military service obligations with the Navy’s Special Forces (UDT/SEAL), appeared on survival entertainment programs such as Channel A’s “Steel Unit” in 2021 and Netflix’s “Physical: 100” in 2023.

Kim Sang-wook, who fulfilled his military duty in the Navy's Special Forces, appeared on the military survival entertainment program "Steel Troops." Photograph = General Entertainment 사진 확대 Kim Sang-wook, who fulfilled his military duty in the Navy’s Special Forces, appeared on the military survival entertainment program “Steel Troops.” Photograph = General Entertainment

Physical: 100 was a global hit, topping the non-English viewing time of the global OTT ‘Netflix’. The value of Kim Sang-wook’s name, who survived to the final 30, also rose.

His mixed martial arts skills are also international. Although Kim Sang-wook lost to ▲RTU Season 2 Semi-Final Longju (26, China) ▲RTU Season 4 Final Dom Mafan (26, Australia) in February 2026, his grappling share against active UFC fighters △97.3% △ 56.7% is very impressive.

"Physical: 100" Kim Sang-wook is interviewing in Korean before the public relay event for the Sydney Superdome Road to UFC season 4 lightweight finals in January 2026. If the Asian talent search project RTU is won, it will sign a formal contract with the UFC. Photo = TKO 사진 확대 “Physical: 100” Kim Sang-wook is interviewing in Korean before the public relay event for the Sydney Superdome Road to UFC season 4 lightweight finals in January 2026. If the Asian talent search project RTU is won, it will sign a formal contract with the UFC. Photo = TKO

Kim Sang-wook is also drawing attention as a disciple of Kim Dong-hyun (45), a former UFC fighter in South Korea. Kim Dong-hyun’s 13 wins, 4 losses and 1 invalidity in 18 games from 2008 to 2017 is still the most participation and victory for UFC Koreans.

The official ranking of career high sixth is also the best achievement in Korea above the UFC welterweight. Kim Dong-hyun promoted his junior by posting a content about Kim Sang-wook’s Road to UFC season 4 preparation and participation on the 1.2 million YouTube channel Mami Kim stungun TV.

1.19 million subscribers to the 'Physical: 100' Kim Sang-wook Road to UFC Season 4 Lightweight Final preparation video thumbnail. On the right is Korean UFC fighter and broadcaster Kim Dong-hyun. Photo = stungun TV screen 사진 확대 1.19 million subscribers to the ‘Physical: 100’ Kim Sang-wook Road to UFC Season 4 Lightweight Final preparation video thumbnail. On the right is Korean UFC fighter and broadcaster Kim Dong-hyun. Photo = stungun TV screen

In the 28-year history of UFC welterweight, Kim Dong-hyun boasts ▲6th place in the upper position possession ▲7th place in the grappling advantage ▲10th place in the top position ratio. Kim Sang-wook said, “I’ve come this far thanks to the sacrifices and teachings of my brother, who always believes in me and uses my strength. I want to repay the expectations,” he said.

Kim Sang-wook MMA history and career

2015~ 17 wins and 9 losses

13 wins and 4 losses in the professional league

I think it’s 04 wins and 5 losses

KO/TKO 5 wins and 1 loss

Submission, 4 wins and 2 losses

2022 AFC Welterweight Provisional Champion

2022 AFC Lightweight Championship

2023 Road to UFC 2 Semifinals

2026 Road to UFC 4 Final

'Physical: 100' Kim Sang-wook faces Dom Ma Pan in the lightweight final of Sydney Superdome Road to UFC season 4 in February 2026. If the Asian talent search project RTU is won, it will sign a formal contract with the UFC. Photo = TKO 사진 확대 ‘Physical: 100’ Kim Sang-wook faces Dom Ma Pan in the lightweight final of Sydney Superdome Road to UFC season 4 in February 2026. If the Asian talent search project RTU is won, it will sign a formal contract with the UFC. Photo = TKO

[Kang Daeho, MK Sports Reporter]