Angela's match was the second fight on the main card. Yu Jung-ak had some time because he was in the main event.
Standing fights typically consisted of three 3-minute rounds. In the past, there were 5-round 3-minute matches, but recently, 3-minute 3-round matches had become the norm. Some traditional kickboxing organizations still used 5-minute 3-rounds as standard, but such places were gradually disappearing.
This was because standing combat was such a physically demanding sport. It was not only exhausting but also carried a high risk of injury due to the use of kicks, punches, and knee strikes. Naturally, adjusting the number of rounds was necessary to protect the fighters.
As a result, standing combat tournaments often ended faster than mixed martial arts events. Since the matches progressed quickly to the main event, standing combat tournaments typically included more match-ups on the card.
While the main card of a mixed martial arts event usually had five fights, standing combat events often had six to eight or more match-ups.
Today's Max Fighting main card had six fights. The first match was also in the women's division, ending in a decision after a dull exchange. Next was Angela's fight. Like Lee Il-su's provocation towards Yu Jung-ak, Angela's opponent, Woo Eun-ha, had also provoked Angela a lot before the match.
This generated quite a bit of interest in the fight. Angela's fans had expressed considerable concern about her participating in a standing match.
Angela wasn't known as a striker type of fighter. If anything, she was more of a wrestler-jiu-jitsu type, and while her striking was improving, it wasn't considered to be at a particularly high level.
Angela had worked hard to change that perception. She knew that improving her striking skills was essential to reach higher levels in the sport.
[The future of Korean women's MMA! Angela Jin enters the arena. This is Angela's first standing match, right?]
[That's correct. In fact, it's a bit difficult to call Angela a striker.]
[Mr. Seo Dong-gi, what do you think about the match-up between Woo Eun-ha and Angela?]
[Woo Eun-ha has the advantage. While her record isn't particularly impressive, she's a specialist in standing combat. On the other hand, Angela is based in jiu-jitsu. If they were fighting under MMA rules, Angela would have the advantage, but in a standing match, it won't be easy for her.]
[Angela's camp claims they've prepared extensively and will definitely win, but it seems you have a different perspective, Mr. Seo?]
[We'll have to see when the fight starts, but Woo Eun-ha does have the advantage.]
[Now, Woo Eun-ha enters from the red corner.]
Angela stepped onto the ring with a tense expression. It was her first time fighting in a ring, so she couldn't help but feel nervous. However, Angela didn't think she would lose. Hadn't she trained rigorously in striking with Rumsak Noi? Moreover, Cho Yong-il had joined in to oversee Angela's punching skills. Angela was confident.
Angela and Woo Eun-ha touched gloves and returned to their corners. They were in the same weight class, but Woo Eun-ha was slightly shorter than Angela. However, both were considered tall for their weight class. They had similar builds and reach.
The bell rang, and the fight began.
Woo Eun-ha quickly occupied the center of the ring. She swiftly threw a middle kick at Angela.
Angela, as if waiting for this, took the middle kick while moving in and threw a big hook. It was a clean hook, clearly different from before.
Woo Eun-ha raised her guard with a surprised expression, retracted her kick, and stepped back. As Angela pressed forward, Woo Eun-ha quickly responded with double hooks.
However, Angela skillfully avoided the hooks with a swaying motion and countered with a middle kick. Woo Eun-ha's expression hardened slightly.
It was because Angela's striking skills were better than expected. Especially, avoiding an opponent's attack with a sway was an advanced technique rarely seen in women's matches. Yet Angela was using this technique with ease.
This was the result of thorough preparation. Angela never took fight preparation lightly. She and her team had repeatedly watched Woo Eun-ha's fights and noticed that Woo Eun-ha habitually threw double hooks when pressured.
That's why she could anticipate and sway to avoid the hooks. If Angela could instinctively recognize and avoid double hooks, she would be at a level competing for the world's top position in the women's division.
However, Angela's striking wasn't quite at that level yet. The performance Angela was showing now was possible because of extremely thorough preparation.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
After taking a middle kick, Woo Eun-ha threw a jab to measure the distance. Then she moved forward and threw a powerful hook. Angela raised her guard at that moment and moved in. In close range, Angela unleashed a short punch combination she had practiced.
It was a combination of two light body shots followed by a hook. This combination, specially taught by Cho Yong-il, could knock out an opponent even at very close range if executed properly. However, Angela's combination wasn't quite at that level.
What determined the level of a combination wasn't accuracy or speed, but power. The same combination thrown by a top-class fighter could knock out an opponent, while an amateur's combination might not have much effect.
Both Angela and her coaching staff knew well that the short punch combination just thrown wouldn't cause much damage to Woo Eun-ha. Nevertheless, they aimed for this combination at close range for one reason.
It was to score points. Such a fast combination at close range was likely to score points due to its impact.
[Oh. They said Angela had improved her striking, and she really has improved a lot. Isn't that right, Mr. Seo Dong-gi?]
[That punch combination we just saw is a technique often used in boxing matches. It seems she's been coached by Cho Yong-il, the representative of Team Silence. It's a technique we don't often see in women's matches.]
[So we can consider it a high-level technique?]
[Yes. It's not easy to use in actual fights. Body combinations aren't as easy as they look.]
Woo Eun-ha created distance and troubled Angela with low kicks. Angela responded without rushing, countering with low kicks of her own.
Then came a surprise high kick from Woo Eun-ha.
Angela raised her guard tightly and blocked the high kick.
The exchange in the first round was intense. While Angela showed many impactful moments early on, Woo Eun-ha soon recovered and responded fiercely.
Their fight was heated, despite being a women's match. They exchanged heavy strikes. Then the second round began.
The first round was evenly matched.
It wouldn't have been strange for either fighter to be given the round. Angela was ahead in effective strikes, while Woo Eun-ha scored points with bigger strikes.
Yoon Chang-seon advised Angela to keep doing what she was doing. As the second round started, their fight became even more intense.
It was impossible to say who had the upper hand. Because of this, Woo Eun-ha charged at Angela more aggressively.
As the latter half of the second round approached, a difference began to emerge. It was in stamina.
For Angela, who had been competing in 5-minute 3-round MMA fights, the 3-minute rounds of a standing match weren't too challenging.
Woo Eun-ha's movements began to slow down in the latter half of the second round, while Angela maintained her pace.
Angela was known for her good stamina even in MMA.
She was the Angela who had endured Yu Jung-ak's hellish training through sheer determination. She was confident in her stamina.
The strategy was to provoke Woo Eun-ha into a brawl and drain her stamina.
It was a risky strategy that could backfire if the opponent had better stamina, but Angela decided to use it.
Yoon Chang-seon had suggested it first, and Angela agreed. No matter how much Angela's striking had improved, knockouts were rare in women's matches unless there was an overwhelming skill difference. Moreover, her opponent was a standing combat specialist.
It was unrealistic to think Angela could dominate with striking. That's why a strategy was needed. And that strategy was working well.
While she might not be able to overwhelm Woo Eun-ha in striking skill, Angela was confident in her stamina.
Angela began to push the slowing Woo Eun-ha more aggressively in the latter half of the second round. She didn't give her a chance to rest, and when Woo Eun-ha was cornered, she grabbed Angela.
That's when Angela's prepared technique came out.
It was the Thai clinch.
Angela used the authentic Muay Thai clinch she had learned from Rumsak Noi, shook Woo Eun-ha around, landed a knee kick, and then swept her leg to throw her down.
Woo Eun-ha fell to the floor.
When an opponent uses such a technique while you're already tired, it drains your stamina even more. It makes you feel completely drained.
Woo Eun-ha struggled to her feet, and Angela further drained her stamina with clinches in the second round. At the end, she threw her to the floor once more.
The last round was one-sided.
Woo Eun-ha had depleted her stamina faster than usual due to the rapid pace of exchanges in the first two rounds.
And then there was the torment from Angela's clinches.
As a result, her movements had slowed, and she couldn't execute proper techniques. While a single powerful strike could still turn the tide, without stamina, such a strike wouldn't come.
Angela pummeled Woo Eun-ha one-sidedly, while Woo Eun-ha was barely able to defend. Angela cornered Woo Eun-ha and unleashed a barrage of attacks with all her might. Many of her strikes hit the guard, but she didn't care.
It was important to widen the point gap when possible.
Woo Eun-ha, cornered, could only block Angela's punches.
The referee, unable to watch any longer, stepped in to stop the fight. There was no significant damage, but Woo Eun-ha showed almost no will to fight.
Woo Eun-ha protested, but her protest was not accepted. It was natural for the fight to be stopped if there was no intention to attack.
Woo Eun-ha appeared to have no intention of attacking to anyone watching.
It was Angela's TKO victory in the third round.
[Wow. This is an upset. Angela finishes Woo Eun-ha with a TKO in the third round.]
[The variable in this fight was stamina. Angela had much better stamina than Woo Eun-ha.]
[Angela's striking level also seemed much higher than before.]
[Yes. She's growing incredibly fast. She's a fighter whose future is even more promising than her present. Team Silence has been producing some amazing fighters lately. Isn't Yu Jung-ak also from Team Silence?]
The commentators' praise continued, and congratulatory posts for Angela's victory flooded the online community.