‘A Supportive Brother And Wonderful Friend’ – Kim Jae Woong Opens Up On Unique Relationship With Kwon Won Il

Many lifelong friendships have been forged on the training mats.

South Korean star Kim Jae Woong – who returns to action against #1-ranked bantamweight MMA contender John Lineker at ONE Fight Night 13 on Prime Video this Friday – built his camaraderie with fellow ONE star and compatriot Kwon Won Il at Extreme Combat in the city of Goyang.

When taking part in a sport as physically and mentally demanding as mixed martial arts, the participants must put a lot of trust in one another and share both the agony and ecstasy that comes with competition.

With that in mind, Kim reflected on their unique relationship ahead of his high-profile matchup with Lineker in U.S. primetime:

“Kwon Won Il is a great guy who is like a supportive brother and wonderful friend. It’s good to be able to fill in each other’s weaknesses and train together. Being in each other’s company gives me strength and enables me to push myself harder during training.”

The respect between the two hard-hitting strikers goes both ways, with #4-ranked bantamweight contender Kwon echoing the same sentiments about his longtime friend.

Both men have worked their way toward the top in ONE Championship ranks, and “Pretty Boy” cites Kim’s presence as a major factor in his own success.

Kwon explained:

“He is a good training partner who has been with me since the beginning of my training. He is like my brother for life.

“Kim is like a brother to me and a homie. We support each other, and he gives me strength when I fight.”

How Kim Jae Woong And Kwon Won Il Help Each Other Improve

Every training partner is valued, but sometimes, the bond between athletes grows naturally as their personalities jell to bring the best out of each other.

For his part, Kim Jae Woong says fellow South Korean slugger Kwon Won Il is great at pushing him through the tough moments in the gym, but he also looks up to his compatriot for his intelligence and cerebral nature.

“The Fighting God” said:

“We are great at motivating each other, having trained together for a long time. Kwon Won Il is one of the smartest individuals I know and a great brother who always keeps me informed and provides me with helpful advice.”

Kwon recently opened his own gym, P-Boy MMA, which means he doesn’t get to spend as much time with Kim on the mats at Extreme Combat.

But even with that change, he greatly values everything his friend brings to the table in support of his burgeoning combat sports career.

Kwon added:

“Kim gives me a lot of good pieces of advice. It’s a shame I don’t see him as often these days.”