It’s the end of the road on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage for one long-tenured UFC veteran.
Kyung-ho Kang (19-11, 1 NC) arrived in the UFC in 2012 off the back of championship success under the Road FC banner. The South Korean initially lost his debut to Alex Caceres, but a positive test for marijuana from the victor saw the result overturned to a no contest.
After a defeat to Chico Camus, Kang eventually found his feet inside the Octagon, amassing a strong run that saw him win six of seven fights. But an inconsistent period since 2019 and back-to-back defeats have now marked the end of his UFC journey.
The 37-year-old took to social media this week to announce the expiry of his contract, bringing an end to his promotional stint with an 8-5 record.
“Hello, I’m Kang Kyung-ho, a former UFC fighter:) Just received word today that the UFC was up with,” Kang wrote on Instagram (translated from Korean). “It’s been a long time that I first signed with UFC in 2012 and ended in 2025, but when I look back, it’s gone like a moment. When you sweat every day, you train hard and lose more than 10 kilometers and when you enter a cage that matches your fear, when you hear the cheers of the audience, your fear turns into excitement and when you win the match, you feel frustrated when you lose the heat that can’t be replaced by anything. But looking back, all these moments were happy. A young man in his mid-20s has become an old man in his late 30s:) I did my best, so I have no regrets. Thank you very much to the fans who have laughed and cried with me, and cheered me up all night and slept in the morning. I’m so excited and excited about my life ahead. Please give me a lot of support. I will support you too. Thank you
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Though it was initially reported that Kang had retired from active MMA competition, his management has since outlined the South Korean’s intention to keep fighting away from the UFC.