Jun Yong Park Record: 19-7-0

Establishing himself in the UFC

Park's Octagon debut in August 2019 ended in a second-round anaconda choke loss to Anthony Hernandez, but he rebounded immediately, grinding out a unanimous decision over Marc-André Barriault that December. He built momentum through the pandemic era with decision wins over John Phillips and the unbeaten Tafon Nchukwi, before a 2021 knockout loss to Gregory Rodrigues snapped the run.

A strong middleweight stretch

Park answered with one of the best stretches of his career, edging Eryk Anders by split decision in May 2022, then reeling off three straight submissions: a rear-naked choke of Joseph Holmes, a first-round finish of Denis Tiuliulin, and a second-round choke of the dangerous Albert Duraev in July 2023. A close split-decision loss to veteran André Muniz followed in December 2023, but Park bounced back with split- and unanimous-decision wins over Brad Tavares and Ismail Naurdiev. In October 2025 he dropped a unanimous decision to Ikram Aliskerov at UFC 321, a step up against a ranked finisher.

Fighting style

Park is the definition of a grinder — a high-volume, pressure-based fighter who wears opponents down with boxing combinations, takedowns, and top control. His finishes split evenly between his hands and his grappling, with five KOs and six submissions, but the heart of his game is durability and output, reflected in the eight decisions on his record. He rarely gets finished and almost never breaks, the trait that gave rise to his "Iron Turtle" nickname. His most reliable closing weapon is the rear-naked choke, while his clearest ceiling has been against the division's elite strikers and grapplers, who have accounted for the losses that have stalled his climb into the rankings.

Career highlights

• Three-fight submission streak — finished Joseph Holmes, Denis Tiuliulin, and Albert Duraev in a row to surge up the middleweight ladder.
• Win over a former contender — outpointed UFC veteran Brad Tavares, one of the division's most experienced gatekeepers.
• One of Korea's most durable fighters — built a 19–7 record across a decade of international competition while rarely being broken, earning the "Iron Turtle" name.