Seok Hyeon Ko Record: 13-3-0

Inside the Octagon

Ko made the most of his debut. In June 2025 he faced Welsh prospect Oban Elliott and turned in a wrestling masterclass, controlling the action en route to a lopsided unanimous decision and immediately validating the grappling pedigree behind his nickname. He backed it up in November 2025, taking another clear unanimous decision over American veteran Phil Rowe to push his UFC start to 2-0 and extend a winning streak that had grown into one of the longer active runs in the welterweight division.

Fighting style

Ko is a well-balanced welterweight whose record splits evenly between finishes and the scorecards: six of his 13 wins have come by knockout and the other seven by decision, for a finish rate around 46 percent. His sambo and wrestling base lets him dictate where fights take place, grinding out control time and takedowns when he wants the safer path, while his boxing gives him the power to end nights early, as his nickname promises. Notably, both of his career losses have come by knockout, a reminder that for all his control-oriented dominance he can be caught when he stands and trades, which makes his recent emphasis on grappling-heavy game plans a smart evolution.

Career highlights

• Sambo world champion — won gold in combat sambo at the 2017 FIAS World Championships in Sochi, becoming the first Korean to claim a sambo world title.
• UFC debut masterclass — dominated Oban Elliott via wrestling-heavy unanimous decision in June 2025 to open his Octagon run with a statement.
• 2-0 UFC start — followed up by clearly outpointing Phil Rowe in November 2025 to extend a lengthy winning streak.