Canadian middleweight Denis Kang has inked a multi-fight non-exclusive deal with the Korean upstart MMA promotion Road FC.
Kang is a possibility for the Road FC 2 card on April 16 in Seoul -- that is, if he emerges unscathed from a March 26 meeting with The Ultimate Fighter alum Jesse Taylor.
Kang (33-12-2), who is of Korean and French descent, made a name for himself in MMA in 2004 with another Korean promotion, Spirit MC. That year Kang won seven straight Spirit MC fights, including a three-fight, single-night tournament, to secure a deal the following year with PRIDE Bushido. Spirit MC collapsed in 2008, but returned last year with a small "Amateur League" show.
While Kang's successes continued through his PRIDE Bushido career, a loss to Yoshihiro Akiyama at a K-1 MMA event in October 2007 was the beginning of the end of his standing as a top middleweight. He compiled a 4-4 record since the Akiyama loss and in 2009 was cut from the UFC after three fights.
Last year, Kang bounced back with a submission win on a W-1 show in Canada and a split draw against former WEC champion Paulo Filho at Impact FC 2. His March 26 opponent on a Battlefield Fight League card in Canada, Taylor (17-6), is on a three-fight winning streak.
The Road FC promotion held its inaugural show last October. The promotion is designed as a small event, but since there's a lack of MMA promotions in Korea, can be considered the top show there by default.
Kang is a possibility for the Road FC 2 card on April 16 in Seoul -- that is, if he emerges unscathed from a March 26 meeting with The Ultimate Fighter alum Jesse Taylor.
Kang (33-12-2), who is of Korean and French descent, made a name for himself in MMA in 2004 with another Korean promotion, Spirit MC. That year Kang won seven straight Spirit MC fights, including a three-fight, single-night tournament, to secure a deal the following year with PRIDE Bushido. Spirit MC collapsed in 2008, but returned last year with a small "Amateur League" show.
While Kang's successes continued through his PRIDE Bushido career, a loss to Yoshihiro Akiyama at a K-1 MMA event in October 2007 was the beginning of the end of his standing as a top middleweight. He compiled a 4-4 record since the Akiyama loss and in 2009 was cut from the UFC after three fights.
Last year, Kang bounced back with a submission win on a W-1 show in Canada and a split draw against former WEC champion Paulo Filho at Impact FC 2. His March 26 opponent on a Battlefield Fight League card in Canada, Taylor (17-6), is on a three-fight winning streak.
The Road FC promotion held its inaugural show last October. The promotion is designed as a small event, but since there's a lack of MMA promotions in Korea, can be considered the top show there by default.
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