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JooSang Yoo | A Tough Act To Follow
After His Spectacular Arrival On The Big Stage, JooSang Yoo Is Ready To Deliver Another Impressive Victory At UFC 320
After registering a quickfire Knockout of the Year candidate on his UFC debut, JooSang Yoo returns to action at UFC 320 with the difficult job of following up his stellar first win.
Yoo's first UFC appearance was the stuff of a debuting fighter's dreams. It came at UFC 316 in June where, matched against Indonesian striker Jeka Saragih, an exciting matchup was expected. The excitement was certainly there, but it didn't last long.
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It took Yoo just 28 seconds to land a perfectly timed counter left to knock out Saragih in spectacular fashion. It remains one of the best KOs of 2025, and immediately announced Yoo's arrival as a dangerous newcomer to the UFC's 145-pound division.
Despite the magnitude of the occasion – making his UFC debut on a huge pay-per-view event – Yoo said he didn't feel any additional nerves, other than the usual excitement at stepping into the arena to compete.
“It felt the same as always," he said.
"I was excited, eager to step in there, and ready to show the hard work I’ve put in.
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“What made me happiest was seeing the people around me smile. The emphatic win itself didn’t mean much. It just motivates and reminds me to keep working harder."
With that jaw-dropping debut now on his record, Yoo has immediately made a name for himself on the big stage as he looks to follow in the footsteps of the legend who helped him get his shot.
"The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung has carried the torch for South Korean MMA in the UFC, with the former title challenger sharing the Octagon with a host of UFC legends during his own stellar career.
Now, with "Zombie" retired, hopes are high that Yoo could be the man to carry the torch for South Korean MMA on the world stage.
Yoo is Jung's protegé, and even goes by the moniker of "Zombie Jr", but their relationship is much more than teacher and student, as he explained ahead of his upcoming bout at UFC 320 this weekend.
“Right now we’re like brothers,” Yoo explained.
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“I train with him once a week, and he helps fill in the missing holes and gives me brotherly advice.
“'The Korean Zombie' isn’t just an inspiration for Korea — he’s inspired Asia and the whole world. For a fighter like him to come out of Korea is unbelievable. He gave us all the courage to believe and say, ‘I want to do it too.’”
That belief helped Yoo race to a 6-0 record on the regional scene, with his impressive displays helping get him in front of the UFC's top brass during an episode of Dana White's Lookin' For A Fight. His victory in front of the UFC President and CEO at Zombie's own event, ZFN 2, saw him offered a shot on the big stage.
And his stunning debut victory over Saragih at UFC 316 has put him on every MMA pundit's prospect watchlist.
They say you only get one chance to make a good first impression, and Yoo made sure he left everyone suitably impressed.
Now, with the world watching even more closely the second time around, he's got to do it all over again. His opponent this weekend is Brazil's Daniel Santos, who enters the fight having won five of his last six, including each of his last three outings. Most recently, he defeated Yoo's compatriot Jeong Yeong Lee at UFC 315, but Yoo said that patriotic revenge isn't on his agenda this weekend.
Honestly, no," he said.
"For me, it’s always about winning for myself first — everything else comes after that.
“I didn’t study him too much. He’s just another bantamweight fighter to me.”
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At the age of 31, Yoo is just coming into his fighting prime, and the undefeated featherweight, who named Conor McGregor alongside "Zombie" as one of his main fighting inspirations, is setting his goals high as he looks to do the one thing that eluded his mentor – capture a UFC championship.
“Like every fighter, my goal is to become the UFC featherweight champion," he said, before admitting that he'd love to bring the UFC back to South Korea for the first time since December 2019.
"Zombie" knocked out former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar in the main event of that show in Busan, and "Zombie Jr." would love to be the one to help bring the Octagon back to his country for another big show in 2026.
“If that were to happen, I’d be incredibly happy," he said.
"I really hope winning the upcoming event plays a role in bringing UFC back to Korea next year.”
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He may only be one fight into his UFC career, but Yoo has set his goals as high as possible. But he knows that to stand any chance of achieving them, he needs to deliver more big performances inside the Octagon.
And, when we asked him what the fans should expect to see from him this weekend at UFC 320, his answer revealed that he has the confidence to go along with the sky-high standards he's setting for himself.
“Another perfect performance," he said.
UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2 took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 4, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!