‘I Won’t Take Him Lightly’ – Kang Ji Won Aims To Spoil Ben Tynan’s Debut And Keep Perfect Knockout Rate
South Korean knockout artist Kang Ji Won is determined to stop the hype train of undefeated promotional newcomer Ben “Vanilla Thunder” Tynan.
On November 3 at ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade on Prime Video, the man known as “Mighty Warrior” will return against Tynan in an intriguing heavyweight MMA clash that airs live in U.S. primetime from Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
A veteran of four thrilling fights in ONE and holding a 6-1 professional record overall, Kang holds an experience advantage over his upcoming foe.
Still, the 28-year-old is giving Tynan plenty of respect and preparing for a truly elite opponent:
“I heard he’s on a 12-fight winning streak going back to his amateur days. I won’t take him lightly. I will prepare the best I can to make sure I put on the best performance possible.”
Kang is wise to not overlook the Canadian rising star.
A former Junior National Wrestling Champion and Division I collegiate wrestler, “Vanilla Thunder” is an explosive takedown artist and a physically imposing ground fighter.
With that in mind, “Mighty Warrior” has been tine-tuning his wrestling skills for this matchup:
“I’ve watched his fights, and he’s an elite wrestler. I’ll need to focus on my takedown defense and also focus on just doing what I do best.”
While Tynan might be one of the division’s most credentialed and talented wrestlers, Kang is undeniably one of its most ruthless punchers.
With his 100 percent first-round knockout rate in six career victories – including three against top rivals in ONE – the South Korean is confident he’ll hold the striking edge:
“I can’t really pinpoint a weakness [in Tynan], but I know that my striking is better than his. As I said, I’ll need to focus on my takedown defense and taking the fight to him afterward.”
Kang Ready For Lengthy War With Tynan
Even though Kang Ji Won has never once seen the second round in his professional MMA career, he’s preparing for an extended battle on November 3.
Given his own reputation as a quick finisher, the Wang Ho-trained fighter expects Ben Tynan to try to drag their showdown into deep waters:
“Because of my history of first-round knockouts, I doubt he’ll stand and trade with me in round one. I think he will want to drag it out to the second and third rounds. Whatever the case, I plan on putting on an entertaining performance.”
Indeed, fans can look forward to nothing short of white-knuckle entertainment each time Kang competes, and his battle with the highly touted Tynan should be no different.
Ultimately, “Might Warrior’s” game plan is simple but proven to be dangerously effective – keep the fight standing, throw heavy leather, and leave Bangkok with his perfect knockout rate intact.
He added:
“I’ll defend his takedowns. Whether it’s through ground-and-pound or a standing KO, I believe I will get the win.”
