Dong Sik Yoon talks about his long-awaited return to MMA

The legendary Dong Sik Yoon(41) will be returning to MMA after a 3 year hiatus. Yoon will be participating in a special rules MMA match in the upcoming ’K-1 Asia Max 2013′ card. His opponent Ryo Takigawa is a kickboxing stylist who fought the majority of his career in the HEAT organization.

Why did you return to MMA?

I wanted to show all the Korean people in their 40′s, that we can still achieve anything we want in life. I really wanted to give them this kind of hope.

How is training camp going?

I heard that a lot of people think I am in Japan to train, but actually that is an error. I am actually training in Southeast Asia for this fight. I am training really hard. I feel really good(laughs). It is true that I have not been actively training, but I was always in the gym just in case an opportunity to fight in America came up.

Have you not thought about retirement?

I just couldn’t retire after my last fight, that just wouldnt have been right. I cannot just disappear so quietly from the ring.

How do you feel about your comeback?

Honestly, I was a bit worried about returning back to the “dangerous world”. But more than anything, I do not want to disappoint the fans. I am also curious to see what my level as a fighter is. Because training is so different from a real fight, I need this match to really confirm where my skill level is at. I am training to the best of ability in order to not disappoint the fans or myself.

What do you want to achieve as a fighter now?

I want to be an example to all the younger Korean fighters. I want to show that there is nothing a 40 year old man can’t do. I hope my fight really inspires all the older people to still strive for their dreams. Additionally, because I always represented the sport of Judo, I was really careful about my image in the ring. I thought the whole sport of Judo would be looked at negatively so in simpler terms I messed around less(laughs). But now I do not have much years left as a fighter. I will definitely strike more to give the fans an exciting show. I am also planning on coming out with a really fun entrance.

What do you think about your opponent Ryo Takigawa?

I have not yet seen any tape of him. All I know is that he is around the same age as me and has a similar record. I will think more about that once I am back in South Korea, right now I am just focused on training. I can’t really say for sure I will win, but I am confident that I can win. I believe a fighter needs to think like that to be able to fight without any regrets. I will have a fight that will give joy to myself and all the fans.

http://cormma.com/dong-sik-yoon-talks-about-his-long-awaited-return-to-mma/