Kang Ji Won says he never picked fights despite being the ‘big’ kid in his neighborhood in South Korea

At ONE Fight Night 16, Kang Ji Won is set to return to action for the first time in over a year.

The last time that ONE Championship fans saw the South Korean make the walk was at one of the biggest events in the history of the promotion, ONE X.

Stopping Paul Elliott in under a minute, Kang became an absolute fan favorite and many were curious to see more of his abilities on the ONE stage. Fortunately for supporters of ‘Mighty Warrior’, he is back in action on November 3 at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

Facing off with undefeated Canadian prospect Ben Tynan, this matchup has the potential to launch both men up the heavyweight division for an even bigger fight next time out.

Having rebounded from the one loss of his career, which came against Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almedia, Kang Ji Won is now on the hunt for back-to-back finishes in order to get himself back on the right path.

Ahead of his return, the 28-year-old gave ONE Championship fans a glimpse into the journey that has made him into the martial artist that fans now see before them.

Growing up in South Korea, the heavyweight contender has a very different path into martial arts compared to a lot of people who dedicate themselves to the pursuit of championship gold and evolution as a competitor.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Kang Ji Won spoke about his early life and how he wasn’t pushed into training martial arts out of needing to defend himself:

“I had a normal childhood. I was always a big kid, and I’ve never been one to pick fights with people, so I pretty much had a quiet childhood.”

Diving deeper into his journey into martial arts, the powerhouse finisher revealed that it was his possible career paths that pushed him in the direction of becoming a full-time competitor in MMA:

“Geoje Island is known pretty much singularly for the shipbuilding industry and shipyards. I knew I didn’t want to become a shipbuilder and always enjoyed training MMA, so I went headfirst into training to become a full-time fighter.”

ONE Fight Night 16 will air live in US primetime free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America.