South Korea’s Min Woo Kim seems to have been denied his chance to compete this week in the opening round of the Road To UFC tournament in Singapore.
The drama unfolded as Kim took the scales Wednesday to make weight at 135 pounds – but with no opponent to face off with afterward.
Xiao Long, Kim’s original opponent for the scheduled bantamweight clash, withdrew from the bout citing an injury earlier in the week – and Kim’s countryman Young Jin Hwang was tapped to replace the young Chinese standout.
Unfortunately, according to sources close to the situation, though Hwang initially accepted the short notice bout, he ultimately declined to sign the fight contract, despite being on location in Singapore.
The promotion mounted a last-minute scramble to find another replacement opponent, however, they found no takers in the short space of time they had to work.
All is not lost for Kim: He will serve as an alternate for any competing bantamweight that may be unable to fight. Should all of the remaining fights go ahead as planned, the South Korean prospect will advance to the semi-finals, while still receiving his show and win money for the event.