From Asia’s Gold Medalist in Kickboxing to MMA
From Asia’s Gold Medalist in Kickboxing to MMA
From Kickboxing to MMA: I remember the first day this guy came into the gym. As he introduced himself to everybody, his eyes and demeanor showed what he really wanted. At that time, I saw a fighter who was trying to learn and absorb everything as much as he could. Jae Young Ahn is probably one of the nicest teammates I have ever met while training in MMA. Jae Young’s striking and Muay Thai is definitely at a high level and I have seen him tear through other opponents in sparring and training. He’s in a higher weight class (welterweight) so I wasn’t able to really spar with him that much. And when we did spar, of course, he kicked my ass.
I haven’t kept in touch with Jae Young in a long time, so I have decided to contact him to see what he’s been up to. Please read the interview (translated from Korean to English):
Can you introduce yourself?
I’m 30 years old. I was Asia’s Gold Medalist in Kickboxing. My name is Jae Young Ahn and I am training my best to become a champion.
What year did you win the Gold medal and what exactly was the event called?
2013 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Incheon, Korea.
That’s awesome, so what are you up to these days?
I injured my arm… I’m working and training these days. At the same time I’m getting myself to get back into competition.
What? How’d you injure your arm?
I did a back spinning strike during a bout and broke my ulna.
Damn, sorry to hear that. I hope you recover soon. Can you let everybody know when you started MMA?
I started Muay Thai at 19 years old. In 2015, I took on the challenge to start MMA.
Why did you start martial arts?
I didn’t know how to fight when I was young. I started learning to protect myself and for my family.
What made you change from Muay Thai to MMA?
I decided to start MMA because I believe it would make me into a stronger fighter.
What do you do to supplement your income while training?
In order to supplement my training in the mornings and afternoons, I work as a coach in the evenings.
What kind of coaching do you do?
I currently work as a boxing coach right now.
What do you think your strengths are in MMA?
My strength is in Muay Thai. I believe I have strong striking skills but grappling is difficult, hahaha…
What’s your goal in MMA?
Like every other fighter, my goal is to become a champion.
What do you usually do after you finish training?
After training, I would usually eat and take a break then get ready to go to work.
What kind of training do you do?
In the mornings, I would run and do weights and then I would do MMA training during the day.
What do you enjoy doing on your free time? What do you do like to do outside of training?
I enjoy PC games very much! On my free time, I’m into PC games such as World of Warcraft and StarCraft.
How can people stay updated with you? Do you use Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter?
I don’t use twitter and social media that much but my IG is ahn890921, please follow me! #러브스타그램
As for Facebook, please click on this link: 안재영
Why should people be interested in you as an MMA fighter?
I would like to show great fights through my techniques and make it enjoyable for the audience to watch. But if it doesn’t seem that way, I will try my best in showing a great fight and as a fighter for everybody!
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