Athletes
Junyong Park | Hungry For More
Playful South Korean Middleweight Ready To Compete, Eager To Indulge In Abu Dhabi
Upon sitting down to speak with JunYong Park earlier this week ahead of his showdown with Ikram Aliskerov on Saturday night at UFC 321, we exchanged familiar smiles and a nod of recognition, having done this particular dance several times in the past.
As we readied to begin, I asked, “How are you?” to which the South Korean middleweight offered a one-word response — “hungry — and with that, we were off and running.
Despite the language barrier between us, Park has become one of my favorite interviews over the years because the 34-year-old middleweight is always up for a laugh but can also be quite thoughtful and earnest.
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We opened by discussing the black and white portrait taken by UFC photographer Mike Roach following his most recent appearance, a foul-filled battle with Ismail Naurdiev in June, when the promotion made its initial visit to Baku, Azerbaijan, that stands out when you scroll his Instagram page. His left eye is swollen and basically closed, and there is a gauze bandage tacked over the sutures used to close a gash on his left eyebrow; the former caused by multiple eye pokes and the latter a result of an illegal knee landed by Naurdiev not long into the second round that split Park open and cost the Austrian middleweight two points.
Alongside the photo, Park wrote: “I knew the fight wasn’t always fair, so when injustice came to me, I could fight without hesitation.”
“I definitely didn’t like the eye-poke,” he said with a smile when asked about the photo and the challenging fight, which he won by unanimous decision, having steeled himself and fought well after getting slammed with a knee to the face while he was clearly downed. “I feel like maybe the gloves need to be changed a little bit; maybe make it a little thicker on the index finger side to try and prevent any further actions like that in the future.”
Order UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane
While his constructive criticism of the construction of the gloves was welcomed, it was the tenacity and drive to not only continue with the fight but push forward and win going away that really stuck out to me and stood as something I wanted to drill down on with “The Iron Turtle.”
As expected, when asked about his mettle and having successfully overcome those obstacles, Park both downplayed his efforts and gave a little glimpse at the overall mindset that has propelled him to a largely successful career inside the Octagon thus far.
“I do what I can, to the best of my abilities,” he offered. “The ref told me to continue, and at the end of the day, I can’t lose, so I had to push through and continue with the fight.”
Pushing through produced a quality win, his second straight, and elevated the Korean Top Team representative to 6-1 over his last seven contests, with his only setback during that run being a debated split decision verdict in a bout with Andre Muniz at the end of 2023. It also resulted in Park landing opposite Aliskerov this weekend in a critical matchup between a pair of competitors currently residing on the doorstep of the Top 15 in the fluid and fascinating 185-pound weight class.
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The 32-year-old Aliskerov has been a person of interest in the middleweight ranks since arriving on the roster through Dana White’s Contender Series, touching down with a 13-1 record, with his only stumble coming against current divisional ruler Khamzat Chimaev. Since then, the Russian sambo standout has posted three wins in four fights, a short-notice shift into a matchup against ex-titleholder Robert Whittaker accounting for his lone loss through his first four UFC appearances.
“Even though I have more (fights) in the UFC, Ikram definitely has fought bigger name fighters, so overall, maybe he has a little more experience than I do because of the opponents that he’s faced,” Park said with a hint of a grin when asked about leveraging his edge in experience against his less seasoned opponent this weekend. “(I will definitely need to use) my mind and mental control, and giving him that pressure is definitely going to benefit me when it comes to this fight.
“I definitely feel he’s more of a striker, so I feel like he’s going to bring a lot of that this weekend,” he added, forecasting how things could play out on Saturday. “So that’s something I have to prepare for is going toe-to-toe.”
Going toe-to-toe has never been an issue for the respected, yet underrated South Korean, who is routinely lauded by the broadcast crew for his tenacity and willingness to wade into the fray and exchange.
When he makes the walk on Saturday night in Abu Dhabi, Park will step into the Octagon for the 13th time, meaning that he’ll have as many fights under the UFC banner as he did prior to arriving in the promotion back in August 2019 in Shenzhen, China. He was 10-3 outside of the UFC and has gone 9-3 to date through his first dozen trips into the Octagon, so where does the self-described “permanent student” feel he’s at in his development and form as he heads into battle once more?
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“Overall, I feel like I am growing and flowing a little better as I improve every fight,” Park said, forever downplaying his skills and favoring modesty over self-aggrandizement. “I feel a lot better overall.”
Middleweight is in an interesting place as Park and Aliskerov head into competition with each other at Etihad Arena, with a new champion having been crowned in the summer and several divisional stalwarts sliding down the rankings, replaced by fresh faces with yet undefined ceilings.
Faceoffs | UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane
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Faceoffs | UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane
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Aliskerov has been ticketed as someone who could break into that elite pack sporting a number next to their name from the outset of his tenure, so would a victory this weekend produce a similar outcome for Park?
“I don’t feel as if I’m ready to hit the Top 10 yet, but with my experience in the Octagon, I probably have the ability to give that a challenge and take that step forward,” he said, offering the most round-about, non-boastful, “sure, I suppose I could” answer possible, true to his nature.
While he’s unsure about whether a future in the Top 15 waits on the other side of a win over Aliskerov, one thing he does know that will be there for him afterward is the opportunity to address that first feeling he expressed when we first began our interview.
Whenever Park has fought in Las Vegas, he’s smiled with excitement when thinking about his post-fight trip to In-and-Out Burger. So what is he most looking forward to enjoying for his Abu Dhabi victory celebration?
“All the desserts!” he said excitedly. “And lamb; definitely lamb too!”
UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane took place live from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 25, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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