Kwon Won-il

In this Korean name, the family name is Kwon.
Kwon Won-il
Born (1995-06-24) 24 June 1995 (age 29)
Daejeon, South Korea
Other namesPretty Boy
NationalitySouth Korean
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight145 lb (66 kg; 10 st 5 lb)
DivisionBantamweight
Featherweight
Lightweight
Reach71 in (180 cm)
StyleTaekwondo
Fighting out ofDaejeon, South Korea
TeamExtreme Combat
Top Gym BF[1]
Years active2014–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total17
Wins13
By knockout11
By submission1
By decision1
Losses4
By knockout1
By submission2
By decision1
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Kwon Won-il (Korean: 권원일; born June 24, 1995) is a South Korean mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division of ONE Championship. As of March 6, 2023, he is ranked #4 in the ONE Bantamweight rankings.[2]

Background

Kwon was born on June 24, 1996, in Daejeon, South Korea's fifth-largest city, about 150 kilometers south of the capital of Seoul. His martial arts journey began when he joined his elementary school’s taekwondo team, where he showed natural talent and advanced beyond provincial competitions to participate in the national youth tournament.

However, Kwon was far from a model student. He quit taekwondo when he graduated from elementary school, citing a lack of direction and getting into fights with other students. Eventually, he was ordered to be transferred to another school. After being informed of the news, his mother cried in front of the school's principal, and Kwon was motivated to better himself.[3]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Kwon started his professional MMA career in 2014, fighting primarily in South Korea and Japan. He amassed a record of 4–0 prior to his signing with ONE Championship.[4]

ONE Championship

Kwon made his promotional debut against Anthony Engelen on January 19, 2019, at ONE: Eternal Glory.[5] He won the fight via 67 second technical knockout in the first round.[6]

Kwon faced Masakazu Imanari on February 22, 2019, at ONE: Call to Greatness.[7] He lost the fight via a heel hook submission in 53 second from the first round.[8]

Kwon faced former ONE Featherweight World Championship challenger Eric Kelly April 12, 2019, at ONE: Roots of Honor. He won the fight via 19 second technical knockout in the first round.[9]

Kwon faced Koyomi Matsushima on June 15, 2019, at ONE: Legendary Quest.[10] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[11]

Kwon faced Sunoto Peringkat on October 13, 2019, at ONE: Century – Part 1. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.[12]

Kwon faced Shoko Sato on January 31, 2020, at ONE: Fire & Fury.[13] He lost the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the first round.[14]

Kwon faced Bruno Pucci on October 30, 2020, and aired on November 20, 2022, at ONE: Inside the Matrix 4.[15] He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.[16]

Kwon faced Chen Rui on January 20, 2021, and aired on January 27, 2021, at ONE: Unbreakable 2. He won the fight via technical knockout in the third round.[17]

Kwon faced former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin Belingon on December 3, 2021, and aired on December 17, 2021, at ONE: Winter Warriors II.[18] He won the fight via knockout in the second round.[19]

Kwon faced Fabrício Andrade on June 3, 2022, at ONE 158.[20] He lost the fight via a body kick knockout in the first round.[21]

Kwon was scheduled to face Mark Abelardo on November 19, 2022, at ONE on Prime Video 4.[22] However, on November 4, it was announced that the bout was moved to ONE 163.[23] He won the fight via technical knockout in the third round.[24]

Kwon faced Artem Belakh on June 10, 2023, at ONE Fight Night 11.[25] He won the fight via TKO in the second round.[26]

Kwon faced Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg on January 14, 2023, at ONE Fight Night 18.[27] He won the fight via technical knockout in the round two.[28]

Kwon is scheduled to face Fabrício Andrade in a rematch for the ONE Bantamweight World Championship on January 24, 2025, at ONE 170.[29]

Titles and accomplishments

Professional

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
17 matches 13 wins 4 losses
By knockout 11 1
By submission 1 2
By decision 1 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 13–4 Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg TKO (elbows) ONE Fight Night 18 January 13, 2024 2 2:40 Bangkok, Thailand Performance of the Night.
Win 12–4 Artem Belakh TKO (punches) ONE Fight Night 11 June 10, 2023 2 3:57 Bangkok, Thailand Performance of the Night.
Win 11–4 Mark Abelardo TKO (knee and punches) ONE 163 November 19, 2022 3 3:44 Kallang, Singapore
Loss 10–4 Fabrício Andrade KO (body kick) ONE 158 June 3, 2022 1 1:02 Kallang, Singapore
Win 10–3 Kevin Belingon KO (punch to the body) ONE: Winter Warriors II December 17, 2021 2 0:52 Kallang, Singapore
Win 9–3 Chen Rui TKO (punches) ONE: Unbreakable 2 January 29, 2021 3 0:31 Kallang, Singapore
Win 8–3 Bruno Pucci TKO (punches) ONE: Inside the Matrix 4 November 20, 2020 1 2:00 Kallang, Singapore
Loss 7–3 Shoko Sato Submission (rear-naked choke) ONE: Fire & Fury January 31, 2020 1 4:05 Pasay, Philippines Return to Featherweight.
Win 7–2 Sunoto Peringkat TKO (punches) ONE: Century – Part 1 October 13, 2019 1 1:43 Tokyo, Japan Catchweight (150 lb) bout.
Loss 6–2 Koyomi Matsushima Decision (unanimous) ONE: Legendary Quest June 15, 2019 3 5:00 Shanghai, China
Win 6–1 Eric Kelly TKO (punches) ONE: Roots of Honor April 12, 2019 1 0:19 Pasay, Philippines
Loss 5–1 Masakazu Imanari Submission (heel hook) ONE: Call to Greatness February 22, 2019 1 0:53 Kallang, Singapore Featherweight bout.
Win 5–0 Anthony Engelen TKO (punches) ONE: Eternal Glory January 19, 2019 1 1:07 Jakarta, Indonesia Lightweight debut.
Win 4–0 Toshihiro Shimizu Decision (split) NeoFight 14 October 20, 2018 3 5:00 Cheongpyeong, South Korea
Win 3–0 Arlan Faurillo TKO (punches) URCC Bets 7: Battle Extreme Tournament of Superstars 7 September 14, 2018 1 N/A Manila, Philippines
Win 2–0 Kim Sung-hyun Submission (rear-naked choke) Top FC 8 August 15, 2015 1 4:10 Seoul, South Korea Featherweight debut.
Win 1–0 Hirotaka Miyakawa TKO (punches) DEEP 66 Impact April 29, 2014 1 0:36 Tokyo, Japan Bantamweight debut.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Kwon Won Il | ONE Championship". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. 2 January 2019. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  2. ^ "Athlete Rankings | ONE Championship". ONE Championship - The Home Of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  3. ^ Sam Len (2020-01-19). "How Kwon Won Il's Mother's Tears Inspired Him To Succeed". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2022-11-26.
  4. ^ ""Pretty Boy" Kwon Won Il". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  5. ^ "After Two Finishes, Anthony Engelen Promises Even Better Show In Jakarta". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. 2019-01-18. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  6. ^ ONE Championship (2019-01-19). "Kwon Won Il Shocks Anthony Engelen With 67-Second TKO". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  7. ^ "Kwon Won Il Honored To Face 'Legend' Masakazu Imanari". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. 2019-02-20. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  8. ^ Staff (2019-02-22). "Masakazu Imanari Earns Signature Win In 53 Seconds". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  9. ^ "Kwon Won Il Finishes Eric Kelly in 19 Seconds At ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  10. ^ "Stamp Vs Juniku, Akiyama Vs Thani Set For ONE: LEGENDARY QUEST In Shanghai". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. 2019-05-20. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  11. ^ "Koyomi Matsushima Dominates Kwon Won Il In Shanghai". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. 2019-06-15. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  12. ^ "Sam-A's Second-Round Knockout And More Results From The ONE: CENTURY PART I Prelims". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. 2019-10-13. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  13. ^ James Goyder (2020-01-21). "Kwon Won Il wants to beat Shoko Sato". Asian MMA. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  14. ^ Chris Mohan (2020-01-31). "Shoko Sato Sinks In First-Round Submission In Manila". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  15. ^ "Bruno Pucci faces Kwon Won Il at ONE: 'Inside the Matrix' Part IV". Asian MMA. 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  16. ^ Bear Frazer (2020-11-20). "Kwon Won Il Dazzles With First-Round KO Of Bruno Pucci". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  17. ^ Jay Furness (2021-01-27). "Kwon Won Il Finishes Chen Rui In Three-Round Instant Classic". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  18. ^ Blaine Henry (2021-12-09). "Kwon Won Il: "I believe that I deserve the next shot at the title when I beat [Belingon]"". MyMMANews.com. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  19. ^ John Wolcott (2021-12-17). "Kwon Won Il Shuts Down Belingon With Second-Round Body Shot". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  20. ^ Staff (2022-05-26). "Fabricio Andrade faces Kwon Won Il at ONE 158". Asian MMA. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  21. ^ John Wolcott (2022-06-03). "Fabricio Andrade Starches Kwon Won Il In 62 Seconds, Calls Out John Lineker". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  22. ^ Staff (2022-10-25). "Kwon Won Il faces Mark Abelardo at ONE on Prime Video 4". Asian MMA. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  23. ^ Jay Furness (2022-11-04). "Full Card Revealed For ONE 163: Akimoto Vs. Petchtanong On November 19". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  24. ^ "Aung La N Sang, Izagakhmaev, Woo, Kwon Earn Knockouts In ONE 163's Main Card MMA Fights". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. 2022-11-19. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  25. ^ Coate, Ben (2023-04-24). "2 World title bouts announced for ONE Fight Night 11: Eersel vs. Menshikov on June 9". ONE Championship – The Home of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  26. ^ "ONE Championship Fight Night 11 results: Superbon KOs Ozcan with head kick, Eersel stops Menshikov in 46 seconds". South China Morning Post. 2023-06-10. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  27. ^ "Kwon Won Il to face Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg in explosive MMA clash at ONE Fight Night 18". ONE Championship – The Home Of Martial Arts. 2023-11-17. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  28. ^ "Kwon Won Il, Artem Belakh, Rungrawee Score Epic Knockouts, More Action From ONE Fight Night 18's Undercard". ONE Championship – The Home Of Martial Arts. 2024-01-13. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  29. ^ "ONE 170 news: Fabricio Andrade set for first title defense against Won Il Kwon in January". MMA Junkie. 2024-11-07. Retrieved 2024-11-07.