Former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Ok Rae Yoon has made a living out of rising through adversity and silencing naysayers, and he’s hoping to continue doing so in his next ONE Championship outing.

At ONE Fight Night 23 on Friday, July 5, the South Korean fighter is set to fight promotional newcomer Alibeg Rasulov in a pivotal lightweight MMA bout inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Ok Rae Yoon reveals the struggle of being a fighter

Ok has come a long way in his combat sports journey, and he recounted some of the tougher days in a recent interview with ONE.

“Even after you turn professional, you don’t earn that much money in your first few fights, not enough to make a living. I had to take on other jobs on the side to make ends meet,” he said.

“There was this one time when I was competing in China. I broke my hand during the fight and had to undergo surgery. It took me many months to recover after the surgery. During that time, I couldn’t do anything: I couldn’t train, and I couldn’t work to earn money. The financial stress and uncertainty for the future then was very bad. They were some dark times.”

Over the years, the 33-year-old worked his way through the ranks in the Asian scene, competing in various promotions across South Korea, Japan, and China. 

In April 2021, he made his debut on the global stage of ONE and immediately made an impression by defeating former ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Marat Gafurov and MMA veteran Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez in the span of one week at ONE on TNT III and IV, respectively. 

Ok then stepped up and took the ONE Lightweight MMA World Title from Christian “The Warrior” Lee via unanimous decision at ONE: REVOLUTION in September 2021 to show the world he had what it takes to take on the best.

Though he relinquished the belt in their rematch in August 2022, his spirit wasn’t broken. The Busan native had to overcome a slew of challenges while coming up, so the loss was just another night at the office for him.

Showing ultimate girt, Ok returned to ONE at ONE Fight Night 10 last May and got back in the winners’ column by outworking American fighter Lowen Tynanes over three rounds. 

Former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion makes a promise to his fans

With a career record of 17-4 and a list of world-class opponents he has defeated, it’s clear the Team MAD star has left his darkest days in MMA buried in the past. As he looks into the future, he sees the uphill climb to another World Title as simply a challenge to overcome. 

“I’ve been an underdog for most of my career at ONE Championship. I’ve faced top competition. And every time, I’ve proved people wrong. I will be fighting an elite competitor once again, and as always, I want to surprise people and exceed expectations,” Ok said. 

“People can make predictions, but I will continue to win. I ask the ONE fans for their love and support as I do this. I will make it back to the title.”