A disappointing UFC career continues for The Korean Superboy.
Doo Ho Choi, the 24-year-old South Korean featherweight who made a name for himself with his highlight-reel knockouts, has again been forced out of a match with Sam Sicilia. That’s according to a report from MMA Junkie, citing unnamed UFC officials.
The bout was set for July 15 at UFC Fight Night 71. Officials gave no reason for the withdrawal.
Doo Ho Choi forced out of featured UFC Fight Night 71 prelim: Doo Ho Choi Sam Sicilia needs a new opponent for… http://t.co/AFdz8GBpyY
— Bahia Fightwear (@bahiafightwear) June 28, 2015
However, Choi has an unfortunate history of injuries. He was originally set to face Sicilia in May 2014 at UFC 173, but that bout was scuttled when Choi fell injured. Since signing with the UFC in November 2013, he has only fought once.
But that one fight underlined why Choi (12-1) is such an exciting up-and-comer; he knocked out Juan Puig in only 18 seconds on the undercard of UFC Fight Night 57 in late 2014.
It was the ninth knockout Choi had notched in 13 pro MMA fights. It was also the sixth time he had finished an opponent inside the first round.
It was not immediately clear who might replace Choi against Sicilia. The veteran of The Ultimate Fighter season 15 has been inconsistent in his UFC career, alternating wins and losses over his past five contests. But Sicilia (14-5) got back on the right side of the ledger with a first-round knockout of Akira Corassani in January.
It is reasonable to suspect that the UFC will look to find a replacement for Sicilia rather than scrap the bout altogether given Sicilia‘s relatively high profile among fans and his propensity for knockouts. (Eight of his 14 professional wins have come by KO or TKO.)
Equally reasonable is the presumption that Sicilia and Choi will some day meet and deliver the slugfest that many fans would anticipate between these two. After all, bad luck can’t last forever, right?
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