Korea's Kyung Ho Kang represents Asia in UFC Fight Night

MANILA, Philippines – Korean Kyung Ho Kang will be the sole Asian representative when UFC Fight Night Vettori vs. Cannonier kicks off Sunday, June 18, at the Apex in Las Vegas.

Kang (18-9-0, with 1 no contest), the South Korean, will take on Mexican Cristian Quinonez (18-3-0) in what promises to be a bruising bantamweight bout.

Both fighters won their last fights, with Kang taking a unanimous-decision win over Danaa Batgerel in UFC 275 in Singapore one year ago and Quinonez knocking out Khalid Taha three months after.

Either fighter will look to continue their streaks. 

Moreover, they have almost identical physical attributes with their relative strengths in the stand-up game and striking. In terms of the numbers, Quinonez is the better striker by a distance and Kang is the better grappler.

The 27-year-old Mexican is a well-rounded and smart fighter who is best known for his technical striking ability and good distance control. He likes the fast pace and throws up a high volume of strikes.

The Korean, on the other hand, has a three-inch reach advantage and throws a lot of jabs and straight punches but occasionally will mix it up with calf kicks. Kang is a composed fighter who likes to dictate the pace of the match. At 35 years of age, he knows that he doesn’t have a lot of years left and would like to return to Busan, Korea with a win that will put him closer to a title shot.

The Kang-Quinonez bout is slated for the preliminary cards of this UFC Fight Night.

UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs. Cannonier will be televised live in the Philippines at 7 a.m. Sunday, with the main cards ready for international audiences at 10 a.m. This will be shown on the Premier Sports Channel on Skycable and Cignal as well as on the TapGo TV streaming application.