JunYong Park: Déjà Vu

For the first time in his career — well, second, since he felt this way in July, as well — Park has finally become comfortable identifying himself as a UFC fighter and feeling like a bit of a veteran himself.

Earlier in his career, the 33-year-old was quick to downplay his experience; more keen to deflect talk of his being a role model for the host of emerging talents from South Korea starting to make their way to the UFC and joke about still being an amateur or a white belt.

But after having briefly expressed his newfound level of comfort with UFC staff writer Zac Pacleb in July ahead of his scuttled initial pairing with Tavares, the constant cut-up began his explanation of what has changed for him with a joke, as always, before providing some clearer insights into what has him comfortable acknowledging that he competes inside the Octagon for a living.

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“I got my first stripe on my white belt, so I feel legit now,” he said with a chuckle and a smirk. “I just got more confident and comfortable being in the UFC; the system that they have in place. I look around, I meet other fighters, meet other people, and now I’m comfortable telling them that I’m a UFC fighter because of the experience.

“I’ve fought in the UFC a couple times and I’m just comfortable calling myself a UFC fighter now,” added Park, who has amassed a 7-3 record through his first 10 promotional appearances heading into Saturday’s co-main event matchup. “I’m so used to the UFC fighter check-in and the process that they don’t even have to tell me what to do anymore; I just go to all the different stations and fill out all the paperwork.

“I’m just used to things now.”

One thing Park isn’t overly used to, however, is losing.

“Obviously no one wants to lose, so I re-double my efforts — I go back and look at what went wrong — which is why I’ve never had two losses in a row,” he added, explaining how he’s been able to avoid consecutive defeats throughout his career. “I look at it like a learning experience: ‘Lost the last one; what can we fix to make sure it doesn’t happen again?’”

Should things continue the way they have, it means that Park will come away from Saturday’s pairing with Tavares having garnered an eighth UFC victory and arguably his biggest victory to date.

And defeating a tenured veteran like the Hawaiian is something Park puts great value in.

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“He’s been in the UFC longer than me, obviously he’s had more fight experience than me, so if I go out and beat him on Saturday, I’m essentially on his level or past it,” he said. “I’ve taken his experience, I’ve taken he years he’s put int the UFC, and I’ve proven that I belong with guys of this caliber.”

Some would argue that Park has already proven that he belongs at this level, but just like with being willing to identify himself as a UFC fighter, it’s clearly going to take the South Korean a little bit longer.

Just like getting his first stripe on his white belt.