In the waiting room, Yu Jung-ak met Cho Yong-il. Yoon Chang-seon had to leave Yu Jung-ak's waiting room quickly to prepare for Oh Jung-ryong's match.
"Hey, why did you throw a straight punch I didn't teach you?"
Cho Yong-il was unexpectedly unhappy.
"I thought it would work well."
"Don't carelessly use a weapon that isn't perfectly prepared."
"Come on, still..."
"Even if the match content becomes loose, that's the right thing to do. You're lucky the opponent was careless when you landed it properly, otherwise you would've been countered. Stand up."
Cho Yong-il took a stance with bare fists. Yu Jung-ak had removed his gloves and had only light bandages on. Definitely thinner than when boxing.
"Throw a one-two properly. Like before."
"Like earlier?"
"Yes."
Yu Jung-ak threw a light left jab followed immediately by a right straight, just like when he first hit Hiroya Kizaemon.
It was fast.
Although it was nearly bare-handed, to the untrained eye it was a flawless one-two. However, Cho Yong-il avoided it with a duck and stepped forward diagonally. Then something surprising happened.
"See. Where's the opening?"
Thud!
Cho Yong-il, in a lowered stance, lightly hit the ribs with his left hand like a jab.
"Doesn't this look familiar?"
"Yes..."
"Hiroya Kizaemon used this well as a body kick. Avoid the punch and delay one beat before retreating with a body shot. Throwing a one-two isn't bad. But your right arm opens up too much at the armpit. That doesn't create a sharp angle. Without a sharp angle, it's easy to get countered. Did you take any damage in today's match?"
"Almost none."
"Tomorrow, do some light warm-up with left jabs. Then we'll start from the basics of the right straight. You know how to do the basics, right? In front of a mirror. I'll teach you a proper straight tomorrow. Just wait. Where did you learn such an amateurish straight?"
"Wasn't it pretty good?"
"That was pure luck."
"Come on."
"Well, anyway, you did well since you didn't get hurt."
Though Cho Yong-il didn't say it, he was very pleased internally. And he started to see Yu Jung-ak in a new light. He had thought the Liu Jinshi match was largely due to luck, but now he realized it wasn't. Yu Jung-ak had potential.
Although he didn't have a natural talent for striking, even now Yu Jung-ak's strikes seemed a bit clumsy to Cho Yong-il.
On a scale of 10, Yu Jung-ak's striking ability was at best a 2. But surprisingly, Yu Jung-ak used that 2 effectively in actual fights.
Sometimes he could even use it like a 3 or 4. Cho Yong-il found this fascinating. And now he was starting to properly see Yu Jung-ak's potential.
So Cho Yong-il decided to teach Yu Jung-ak more thoroughly. He had just thought of a striking style that would suit Yu Jung-ak well.
Even within boxing, there are various styles. Dividing into out-boxers and in-fighters is just the first level, and within those, there are dozens of styles.
Mike Tyson, one of the most famous in-fighters, can be more specifically categorized as a peek-a-boo style fighter.
It's a style that lowers the center of gravity, raises the guard high, and pressures the opponent to overwhelm them. It's a style that's impossible without the punching power to break through the opponent's guard.
Naturally, Yu Jung-ak didn't have that kind of punching power.
Yu Jung-ak's fists were light.
If he were a boxer, he would have become a point-focused boxer. But MMA gloves are different.
The damage is direct, almost as if fighting bare-handed. In this type of mixed martial arts, having light fists isn't such a big disadvantage.
"Let me see your hand for a moment."
Cho Yong-il examined Yu Jung-ak's hand. With the bandages removed, Yu Jung-ak's hands were delicate. Despite being much bigger than Cho Yong-il, his hands were much smaller and prettier. They were hands that didn't suit an athlete at all.
While there were calluses on the palm, the back of the hand was pure white. They were small and soft enough to belong to a scholar.
"Make a fist."
"Why?"
Even when making a fist, it was small, though slightly better. When checking for glove sizes earlier, he noticed, but now it was clear that the hands were small.
With hands this small, there's no way he could be a hard puncher. While hand size doesn't absolutely determine punching power, it certainly has an influence.
"Be thankful for your fists."
"Why are you saying that?"
"Did you see Hiroya Kizaemon's stance when you first threw that one-two?"
"Well... After throwing the low kick."
"He reacted after the low kick. He raised his guard for a moment seeing your one-two. But your one-two landed. Do you know why? It's because your fists are smaller than average fighters'. For Hiroya Kizaemon, who did kickboxing, that was a natural defense. Plus, because Hiroya suddenly raised his guard, the inside of his guard was loose. With boxing gloves, that level of guard would catch on the gloves. Same with MMA. That much space would catch most fighters' fists. Unless they twist to the side. But your fists are smaller than average fighters', so they could slip through that gap. Unlike hooks, straights lose almost all impact if they're even slightly caught. So from Hiroya Kizaemon's perspective, he made the best defense he could. But it still landed. That's why Hiroya couldn't help but be flustered."
"Really? Are my fists that small?"
"Want to compare?"
Cho Yong-il called Kim So-hee, a Team Silence member waiting outside.
"What is it, sir?"
"So-hee, can you open your hand for a moment?"
"Huh? Suddenly?"
"Just open your hand once. And compare with Jung-ak."
Kim So-hee opened her hand and compared it with Yu Jung-ak's. Yu Jung-ak's hands were soft with flexible finger joints, while Kim So-hee's were comparatively stiffer. Though Kim So-hee's hands weren't particularly rough, they seemed so compared to Yu Jung-ak's.
"Oh."
"That's your hand size. Your hands are almost the same size as a woman's. Just in terms of size."
"Mine are bigger though?"
"Want to compare with me?"
Yu Jung-ak compared hands with Cho Yong-il. Though Yu Jung-ak was taller, Cho Yong-il's hands were bigger. Yu Jung-ak's hands had short palms and long fingers. But overall, they were on the small side.
"So-hee, are your hands particularly large?"
Yu Jung-ak's hands were about half a joint larger than Kim So-hee's. They were bigger than Kim So-hee's, but not overwhelmingly so.
"For a woman, they're just a bit on the large side."
"Yu Jung-ak, what's your shoe size?"
"280."
"So-hee, take off your shoe and compare with Jung-ak. What size do you wear?"
"250."
They compared foot sizes. Yu Jung-ak's feet were definitely larger. However, in length, they were only slightly longer than Kim So-hee's. Of course, Yu Jung-ak's foot length was longer, just not by much. Cho Yong-il measured Yu Jung-ak's and Kim So-hee's feet with his fingers.
"You wear size 280 because your feet are wide, but your foot length is about 260. Maybe 265. Understand? It's not strange. Many East Asians are like this. People with small hands and feet compared to their body size. Well, your feet aren't small, just short in length."
"I guess I'm not a hard puncher then."
"Right. But don't be discouraged. There's a style that suits you. And since you have short palms and long fingers, it's not a big hindrance. Your hands are also quite thick. Your fingers aren't too thin either, so it's fine."
"I see. Looking at it now, my hands are different from Uncle's."
"Everyone's hand shape is different. Some people have long palms and short fingers. Anyway, in MMA, long fingers aren't bad. It's good for gripping."
Cho Yong-il planned to train Yu Jung-ak as a counter fighter. Long reach, good evasion skills, solid wrestling, and good mental strength. Even without rhythmic striking and destructive power, these were optimal conditions for counter fighting.
In mixed martial arts, even without destructive power, a clean hit can end the fight at any time. Boxing has a count, but mixed martial arts doesn't.
In boxing matches, if you lack punching power, your opponent can get up after being knocked down and stage a comeback. But in mixed martial arts, one wrong hit can often end the game.
So the style Cho Yong-il envisioned would suit Yu Jung-ak very well.
"Cheong-ryong's match is coming up soon. Change your clothes and get ready. We'll talk about the rest tomorrow."
"Yes, Uncle."
"And let's get you fitted for shoes right away. Your feet are unique, so regular shoes aren't good for you. It's better to get custom-fitted ones."
Yu Jung-ak changed and came out. The co-main event had just ended, and Oh Jung-ryong's match, the main card fight, was about to begin.
Bang!
Oh Jung-ryong staggered momentarily after taking Yu Min-jong's hook. But Oh Jung-ryong quickly regained his stance and retreated.
Oh Jung-ryong was struggling in his match against Yu Min-jong. Much more than in their first fight.
Their psychological warfare had been no joke since the first match.
Oh Jung-ryong kept saying he had won that fight. He claimed he would have won if not for the champion's advantage.
His words were somewhat true.
Oh Jung-ryong had landed more effective strikes and had much better pressure.
But the difference was minimal.
It wasn't a fight where Oh Jung-ryong dominated. Yu Min-jong was known as the Conor McGregor of Spirit for his excellent trash talk.
An amazing fighter who competed across bantamweight and featherweight.
His build was big enough to fight at featherweight or even lightweight. At 177cm tall, he was definitely not bantamweight size.
He was good at trash talk and actually provoking opponents, so ticket sales for this fight were no joke.
Since neither Yu Min-jong nor Oh Jung-ryong were the type to back down, fans expected an intense battle.
But the situation wasn't unfolding that way. The match had been tilted since the middle of the first round.
Oh Jung-ryong's left eye was bloodshot. The reason was that he had been thumbed.
Thumbing.
Also known as eye-poking, it's a foul.
Like kicking the opponent's groin (low blow), it's a foul. Eye-poking can potentially end a fighter's career.
That's what thumbing is.
Thumbing is a common foul in mixed martial arts. In clinch or ground situations, thumbing is clearly intentional and can result in immediate disqualification, but in standing situations, it's a bit different.
MMA gloves are open-finger gloves. In other words, the hands are exposed. So eye-pokes happen more often than you'd think in standing situations.
Oh Jung-ryong was thumbed in the middle of the first round.
It was Yu Min-jong's foul, but since it happened during a standing exchange, he didn't receive a point deduction.
He just received a warning.
The reason is that in standing situations, it's hard to determine if eye-pokes are intentional or not.
If the thumbing was done with the back hand, it would clearly result in a point deduction or worse. That would be clearly intentional.
But most problematic eye-pokes happen with the lead hand.
Fighters with long reach use their lead hand to poke their opponent's eyes. Among active fighters, some skillfully use their long reach to execute subtle eye-pokes.
Of course, these fighters are criticized by fans but don't face major sanctions. There's no way to prove intent.
Unlike in boxing, many MMA fighters take a stance with their lead hand extended.
This is to preemptively block incoming strikes. Just extending the lead hand can somewhat block the opponent's vision and make it easier to gauge distance for the rear hand. So many fighters often take this stance.
Especially when fighters with long reach take this stance, it becomes very troublesome for fighters with shorter reach. Light heavyweight Jon Jones, with his unfair 213cm reach, often takes this stance. Jones' arms are so long that just extending them can reach the opponent's head.
The reason Yu Jung-ak doesn't take this stance is simple. Yu Jung-ak learned the left jab first. For Yu Jung-ak to take this stance would be like abandoning the left jab.
To throw a left jab from this stance, you have to retract your hand and then extend it again. It's one beat slower.
So there's no reason for Yu Jung-ak to take this stance.
But Yu Min-jong was different.
Yu Min-jong's style was to pressure opponents with kicks, wrestling, and right hooks rather than jabs. Plus, his reach was very long for the weight class at 190cm. He's about 177cm tall but has a 190cm reach. Almost monkey-like reach.
It was a reach comparable to Conor McGregor, the CFC featherweight champion.
Just as Oh Jung-ryong was about to strike, Yu Min-jong retreated. His lead hand was still up. His index finger briefly entered and exited Oh Jung-ryong's left eye.
Fighters who have been properly thumbed say they feel like their eye might burst.
Oh Jung-ryong was a veteran, but he felt fear.
Even if he denied it, he was only human.
Moreover, the thumbing had blurred the vision in his left eye. This happened in the early rounds, not even in the later ones.
Yu Min-jong wore an apologetic expression, but Oh Jung-ryong could tell.
It was clearly intentional.
Who else but the opposing fighter would know? Oh Jung-ryong felt Yu Min-jong's index finger deliberately dig into his eye at the moment of impact.
Yu Min-jong calmly circled to Oh Jung-ryong's left, insisting on keeping the fight standing. Yu Min-jong was good at ground and pound.
He wasn't someone who usually insisted on staying standing.
But now he was.
When Oh Jung-ryong tried to close in, he would retreat and maintain distance, accumulating points without taking risks. The first round ended and the second round began.
Several jabs and straights landed on Oh Jung-ryong's face. Oh Jung-ryong's left eye started to swell.
Having been thumbed, the situation was getting worse.
Thud!
Yu Min-jong's left body kick landed. Oh Jung-ryong caught the body kick and immediately clinched. It was his only option.
"Hyung! Get out of there!"
Yu Jung-ak shouted from below the octagon. Yu Min-jong had wrapped his arm around Oh Jung-ryong's neck.
Guillotine choke!
[It's in deep. Is Oh Jung-ryong going down?]
But Oh Jung-ryong barely escaped. Yu Min-jong was on the bottom, but he used Oh Jung-ryong's escaping force to instantly reverse the position.
Mount position.
As Oh Jung-ryong raised his upper body trying to escape, merciless pounding rained down. When Oh Jung-ryong took a turtle position, Yu Min-jong took his back and unleashed a flurry of punches.
Oh Jung-ryong tried to resist, but his consciousness was fading.
The referee rushed in to stop the fight, but Yu Min-jong threw a few more punches in the heat of the moment.
A clear foul.
About three more punches landed on the fallen Oh Jung-ryong. The referee pushed Yu Min-jong away again. Only then did Yu Min-jong smile and raise his hands.
While the commentators were trying to say something, Yu Jung-ak was already climbing over the octagon. There was no time for anyone to stop him.
Even Cho Yong-il, who was right beside him, barely saw it happen.
After crossing the octagon, Yu Jung-ak rushed at Yu Min-jong. Yu Min-jong, who had his hands raised, threw a punch first when he saw Yu Jung-ak approaching.
Thud!
Yu Min-jong's fist connected with Yu Jung-ak. Unfazed, Yu Jung-ak attempted a takedown, lifting and slamming Yu Min-jong.
As he was about to rain down punches, Spirit officials rushed in to stop him.
But Yu Jung-ak's strength was no joke.
When he exerted his full strength, two officials were thrown off. However, because many people rushed in, Yu Jung-ak was soon subdued.
Yu Min-jong was primarily at fault for throwing punches after the fight ended, and Yu Jung-ak was also at fault for entering the octagon.
However, Yu Min-jong struck Yu Jung-ak first.
Both were in a situation to be disciplined, but from Spirit's standpoint, it was ambiguous how to penalize them. Oh Jung-ryong was immediately taken to the hospital due to his eye injury, and Team Silence members gathered in the waiting room.
Yu Jung-ak was sitting in the waiting room.
Cho Yong-il and Yoon Chang-seon entered.
"I'm sorry..."
"You did well. That unsportsmanlike bastard needed to be hit."
"What?"
Unexpected words came out of Cho Yong-il's mouth.
"I thought this guy was a softie, but he's got quite a temper."
Yoon Chang-seon said.
"Of course you should act when your teammate is humiliated. That's what a team is. And you didn't do anything wrong. You didn't hit first, Yu Min-jong did."
"That thumbing was intentional, right?"
"Probably. He's often taken advantage of that thumbing before. Even in the first match, there was some mild thumbing, though not like this time."
"That's really dirty."
"Yu Min-jong will probably face disciplinary action. He's not a rookie to make such a mistake."
"But it'll just be a fine, right?"
"Probably. Yu Min-jong is Spirit FC's star. From the CEO's perspective, he's not a card they can discard. Plus, he's the bantamweight champion."
"It's frustrating. How's Jung-ryong hyung?"
"Young-tae went with him."
"Let's go. To the hospital."