29 year old up and comer Si Woo Park will be facing Saori Oshima on December 19th. With a background in striking, she is currently riding a 3 fight win-streak and will look to upset the Deep Micro-weight champion in this Atom-weight contest. Coming off of an impressive TKO victory of Hikaru Aono in her last fight, a win over Oshima will make waves in Japan and essentially guarantee Park a place in next year’s Atom-weight tournament. As an up and coming fighter, this interview is part of a series of interviews for the upcoming Deep Jewels show in order to introduce some of the younger talent. Please enjoy!
Please follow Park on Instagram.
CJ: When and why did get involved with fighting?
PS: I made my MMA debut in 2017. I’m a sporty person and I’ve been involved in athletics since I was young. I was always competitive and wanted to be strong, so I was drawn to fighting.
CJ: Did you compete in any combat sports before you got into MMA?
PS: I started Kickboxing when I was 21 or 22 years old. In elementary school I played soccer, then I practiced Taekwondo from middle school all the way through college.
CJ: Was Team MAD the first MMA gym you went to? What is is like training there?
PS: It was the first gym I came to. Beside the main training at MAD, I also do crossfit, boxing, running, and wrestling ect.
CJ: I know it is still early in your career, but do you have any goals?
PS: At first I wanted to compete on the UFC stage. But now, I want to fight as much as I can. I want to be part of the promotion that wants me. I want to succeed. Since I started fighting, I’ve been working and exercising very hard, so I want to succeed.
CJ: Deep Jewels is having an Atom-weight tournament next year. Do you want to be a part of it?
PS: Yes, I’d like to be part of it. I want to be the champion of that tournament. That is my first goal now.
CJ: How is training different because of COVID-19? Will you have to enter Japan two weeks early before your fight?
PS: I wear masks and exercise a lot. I will have to be by myself for two weeks in Japan. I live in Busan, but I will have to go to Incheon to quarantine. I will overcome this process and win because I have belief in myself. This is why I have been training so hard all of the time. Before my fights, I have an internal fight with myself that I win.
CJ: You made a big impression in your last fight. Can you talk about your fight with Aono? How did it feel to win your first fight by TKO?
PS: I want to be stronger and better. It felt a little weird afterwards. I was very happy because it was my first TKO. I wanted to win by TKO and thought I could do it.
CJ: On to your next fight, what do you think of your opponent?
PS: Saori Oshima, I’ll probably be leading and she will try to tackle, clinch, and grapple with me. It won’t be a problem for me. I don’t think I will feel uncomfortable when she comes in close. I like to fight. I’ve trained really hard for this fight. No body, no mind, no life.
CJ: What do you like to do outside of training and fighting?
PS: I like to exercise, relax, travel, rest and sleep.
CJ: Any final comments or message to the fans?
PS: I’m a growing fighter and a hard working fighter. Please keep an eye on me.
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