Top Korean striker Si Woo Park returns this weekend -

This Sunday, Si Woo Park returns to action at Rizin 37, where she will take part in the opening round of the Super Atomweight Grand Prix. Unlike the other non-Japanese fighters in the tournament, Park has fought a majority of her career in Japan, with 9 of her 11 pro-MMA fights taking place in the country. She has also fought some of the top talent in the country, including Saori Oshima (twice), Seika Izawa, Rena, Hikaru Aono, Saya Ito (Muay Thai) and Panchan RIna (Kickboxing). In fact, it was her TKO victory over Aono that really raised a lot of eyebrows on the Japanese fight scene. As a result of her aggressive striking-based style and the frequency with which she fights in Japan, she is often compared to her teammate, Seo Hee Ham. (Header photo courtesy of Rizin)

Now, Si Woo Park is scheduled to face Kanna Asakura, a very popular fighter in Rizin. Interestingly, the two recently trained together for Asakura’s fight with Satomi Takano at Rizin 35. Asakura went on to win that fight, snapping a two-fight losing streak in the process. While Asakura is known for her wrestling-based style, Park is known for her aggressive striking, making this fight a classic striker vs grappler matchup. Park for her part, has faced her share of grapplers in the past, including Oshima (judo), Izawa (judo/wrestling), Aono (wrestling), and Tomimatsu (bjj) and has performed well against them. An athletic and physically gifted fighter, training at Krazy Bee with the likes of Miyuu Yamamoto, a three time wrestling world champion, and Itsuki Hirata, a judo based MMA fighter, Park has developed strong takedown defense and perhaps more importantly, has shown that she can get back to her feet quickly.

Ahead of this fight, Park told us she had to go back to Korea for visa reasons, so she’s been training with teammates there. This is a change of scenery for her, since she spent a majority of the pandemic in Japan, training at Krazy Bee with Miyuu Yamamoto. While she did face some initial difficulties, like using public transportation, moving to Japan allowed her to stay active during the pandemic. In fact, she’s fought 5 times since the pandemic started and arguably put herself in the position she is now, to win a massive tournament. When asked about the tournament, she told us that “I”ll leave it to heaven and do what I can. I’m confident about winning and believe in myself.” She also added that wherever she fights, her goal is always to become the champion and that her ultimate goal is to one day fight for the UFC.

Fight Videos

Si Woo Park vs Aira Koga (Deep) 4/9/22
Si Woo Park vs Rena (Rizin) 12/30/21
Si Woo Park vs Seika Izawa (Deep) 10/23/21
Si Woo Park vs Saori Oshima II (Deep Jewels) 6/20/21
Si Woo Park vs Nisse (Deep Jewels) 3/7/21
Si Woo Park vs Saori Oshima I (Deep Jewels) 12/19/20
Si Woo Park vs Hikaru Aono (Deep Jewels) 12/15/19
Si Woo Park vs Panchan Rina (Rebels / Kickboxing) 6/9/19
Si Woo Park vs Sayako Fujita (Grachan) 8/26/18
Si Woo Park vs Jeong Eun Park (Road FC) 9/23/17 (Pro-Debut)
Si Woo Park vs Saya Ito (Muay Lock, Muay Thai) 4/27/14

How to Watch Rizin 37

Rizin 37 will be available via a number of streaming services. However, they are all geared towards the Japanese market and there will not be English commentary. If you are ordering from outside of Japan, I would recommend Rizin Live. On all of the options except Sky Perfect, you can watch up through August 5th (JST). If you order the event in advance, it is 5,000 yen, where if you order it the day of, it is 5,500 yen (it is always 5,500 yen on Sky Perfect). That is about $36.50 dollars and $40.14 dollars respectively.