Ko Seok-hyun, 33, bounced back from his first UFC defeat by beating Wellington Turman, 30, of Brazil to secure his third win in the promotion.

The UFC welterweight earned a unanimous decision victory over Turman after three rounds on the preliminary card of <em>UFC Fight Night: Cortes-Acosta vs. Walker</em> at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, on the 8th (Korea time).

The win marked Ko’s return to the winner’s circle four months after losing a decision to Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani in July.

As he had promised before the fight, Ko mixed striking with grappling and won all three rounds. He controlled Turman from advantageous positions for more than nine of the fight’s 15 minutes and held a commanding 54-36 edge in significant strikes.

As he left backstage, newlywed Ko quoted his father-in-law, saying, “There is something beautiful about giving your all to achieve something in your youth.” He then added, “Let’s all do something beautiful.”

“I was disappointed by my loss in the previous fight, so I was determined to win this one,” Ko said after the victory. “I worked hard to put on my best performance. Although I couldn't get the finish, I'm happy with the result.”

Ko credited his victory to head coach Lee Jung-won and his teammates at Havas MMA. “Training with my coach and the other fighters on the team showed me that I can be competitive even on a big stage,” he said. “I want to train even harder and become a higher-level UFC fighter.”

Ko’s next target is UFC welterweight veteran Neil Magny, 39, of the United States. Magny has competed in the UFC since 2013 and holds a record of 25 wins and 13 losses in 38 fights.

“I'm not highly ranked yet, but I've followed Magny for a long time and would like to fight him,” Ko said, issuing the challenge.

Ko Seok-hyun, 33, bounced back from his first UFC defeat by beating Wellington Turman, 30, …

Ko Seok-hyun Beats Turman for Third UFC Win, Calls Out Neil Magny