Korean star Ok Rae Yoon recalls struggling to "make ends meet" early in his mixed martial arts career

ONE Championship fans will know Ok Rae Yoon as the former ONE lightweight MMA world champion who produced a stellar run back in 2021. He earned three consecutive victories in his debut year with the promotion to really announce himself on the global stage.

Capping the year off with a shock upset win over Christian Lee to become the lightweight MMA champion sealed the deal on the biggest and best moment of his career to date.

However, things weren't constantly on the up from the moment he made the decision to turn professional and chase a career as an elite mixed martial artist. Like many who decided to walk down this path, it came with a lot of sacrifices before he was able to reap the rewards.

While his fortunes completely changed once he arrived in ONE Championship and instantly made a name for himself, things weren't always this simple.

In a recent interview with the promotion ahead of his return at ONE Fight Night 23, the former champion reflected on the early days of his career when competing wasn't enough to pay the bills:

"Even after you turn professional, you don't earn that much money in your first few fights, not enough to make a living. I had to take on other jobs on the side to make ends meet."

---

Ok Rae Yoon is back on the right path

The incredible 2021 of Ok Rae Yoon unfortunately came crashing down in 2022 when he faced Christian Lee in a rematch and was dethroned.

A bounce-back win at ONE Fight Night 10 showed that, just like in the early days of his career, he's dedicated and won't give up when times get tough.

Now, the former champion looks to make it back-to-back wins when he returns on July 5 for a contest against Turkey's Alibeg Rasulov at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

ONE Fight Night 23 will air live and free in US primetime for North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription.