Park Kwang-cheol (

Hangul The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The le ...

: 박광철,

Hanja Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom. (, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, ...

:朴光哲), better known by his Japanese name , is a retired Japanese-born South Korean

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

and kickboxer, competing in the

Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, t ...

division of Rizin Fighting Federation. He has mostly fought in

Shooto Shooto is a combat sport and mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the ''Shooto Association'' and the ''International Shooto Commission''. Shooto was originally formed in 1985, first as a particular fighting system and then in 198 ...

, where he was the Shooto Pacific Rim Welterweight Champion, but has also fought in

ONE Championship ONE Championship (formerly ONE Fighting Championship) is a Singaporean combat sports promotion. Founded on 14 July 2011 by entrepreneur Chatri Sityodtong and former ESPN Star Sports senior executive Victor Cui, its events have featured mixed ...

DREAM A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...

King of the Cage King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Southern California, United States. History KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mainstr ...

, S-Cup, Cage Force and

K-1 HERO'S Hero's was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion operated by Fighting and Entertainment Group, the parent entity behind kickboxing organization K-1. Grown from and branched off of K-1's earlier experiments in MMA, including the ''K-1 Romanex' ...

. Boku is also a former ONE Lightweight World Champion.

Career

Shooto

Boku made his professional debut against Dutch fighter Marc Duncan at Shooto: GIG East 7 on November 26, 2001, and won by submission in the second round. He also won his next two fights, against Takuhito Hida and

Mitsuo Matsumoto Mitsuo Matsumoto (born July 18, 1971) is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He competed in the Lightweight division. Mixed martial arts record , - , Loss , align=center, 9-10-1 , Eriya Matsuda , TKO (punches) , Pancrase: 2006 Neo-Blood ...

, before losing to

Takaharu Murahama is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He competed in the Lightweight division. He's the brother of professional wrestler and kickboxer Takehiro Murahama. Mixed martial arts record , - , Loss , align=center, 10-9-5 , Kotetsu Boku , Decis ...

at Shooto: Treasure Hunt 6 on May 5, 2002. He won his next fight against Toniko Junior, but again suffered a setback by losing the following two fights against

Mitsuhiro Ishida Mitsuhiro Ishida (, born December 29, 1978) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist who competed in Shooto, Strikeforce, PRIDE, DREAM, and DEEP. A professional competitor from 2001 until 2011, Ishida also participated in the Yarennoka even ...

and Kenichiro Togashi. Boku then had another four fights in Shooto, winning all four, before transferring to K-1 Hero's in 2005. He was the Shooto Pacific Rim Welterweight Champion, but vacated his title when he left for

K-1 Hero's Hero's was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion operated by Fighting and Entertainment Group, the parent entity behind kickboxing organization K-1. Grown from and branched off of K-1's earlier experiments in MMA, including the ''K-1 Romanex' ...

K-1 HERO'S

Boku's K-1 HERO'S debut came against Brazil's former WEC Lightweight Champion

Hermes Franca Hermes (; grc-gre, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orators ...

at HERO'S 3 on September 7, 2005, and he won by majority decision. His next, and last,

bout took place on August 5, 2006 at HERO'S 6 against

Alexandre Franca Nogueira Alexandre Franca "Pequeno" Nogueira (born January 15, 1978) is a Brazilian Luta Livre fighter and the former Shooto Lightweight Champion, a Japanese mixed martial arts organization. Nogueira began his professional career at the age of 20, defea ...

. He also won this, by unanimous decision. After this, Boku returned to Shooto for one fight, a draw against Kenichiro Togashi at Shooto: Back to Our Roots 1. He then joined Greatest Common Multiple in 2007.

Cage Force

Finland's Jarkko Latomaki was Boku's first opponent in Cage Force. They faced each other at GCM: Cage Force 2 on March 17, 2007, and Boku came away the victor after knocking Latomaki out with an elbow in the first round. He then fought at Cage Force 3, 4 and 5, winning all but one fight which he lost to Artur Oumakhanov. After this, he went into DREAM for one fight. It was a loss to Joachim Hansen at the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 Opening Round on March 15, 2008.

Return to Shooto

2009 saw Boku return to Shooto. His first fight was against then- Shooto Lightweight Champion Yusuke Endo in a non-title fight on January 18, and ended in a draw. He then fought Yutaka Ueda, and won, before taking on Endo again in a rematch which was a title-challenge this time. This took place at Revolutionary Exchanges 2 on September 22, and Boku was submitted in the first round. He then took on

Yukio Sakaguchi is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, actor and judoka, who is currently signed with DDT Pro-Wrestling and has fought and competed for World Victory Road, DREAM, Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling, Pancrase, Pro Wrestli ...

at Revolutionary Exchanges 3 and won by TKO in round 1.

ONE Championship

On September 18 it was announced that Boku had signed with the Singapore-based ONE Championship and would be fighting Zorobabel Moreira for the ONE FC Lightweight Championship at ONE Fighting Championship: Rise of Kings. Boku faced Zorobabel Moreira for the inaugural ONE FC Lightweight Championship on October 6, 2012. Boku managed to endure vicious

leg kick A low kick (also known as a leg kick) is a kick in which the attacker uses their leg to strike the opponent's lower body (thigh or calf) with the shinbone or foot. This type of kick, under different names, is utilized in numerous full-contact ma ...

s throughout the majority of the fight to eventually earn an upset comeback TKO over Moreira early in the third round. Boku lost his ONE FC Lightweight Championship to

Shinya Aoki is a Japanese mixed martial artist, professional wrestler and grappler currently competing in ONE Championship's and Rizin Fighting Federation's Welterweight division. He also competes in DDT Pro-Wrestling where he is a former three-time DDT E ...

at ONE Fighting Championship: Kings and Champions on April 5, 2013. Aoki fought to avenge his

Evolve MMA Evolve Mixed Martial Arts (not associated with Evolve Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) is a chain of martial arts academies. Founded by Chatri Sityodtong, it opened in January 2009. The gym includes several former and reigning UFC and ONE Championship World ...

teammate Moreira, and forced Boku to submit at 2:01 during round 2 with a

rear-naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC) is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word "naked" in this context suggests that, unlike other strangulation techniques found in jujutsu/judo, this hold does not require the use of a keikog ...

. Boku faced Arnaud Lepont at ONE FC 14 on March 14, 2014. He won the fight via TKO in the first round.

Rizin Fighting Federation

On February 24, 2020, it was revealed that Boku had signed with Rizin Fighting Federation. He made his Rizin debut against Jin Aoi at Rizin 23, where lost by unanimous decision. Boku was next scheduled to face Rikuto Shirakawa at Rizin 25. He lost to Shirakawa via third-round technical knockout and subsequently retired from the sport.

Championships and accomplishments

** Shooto Welterweight Pacific Rim Championship (One time) *

** ONE Lightweight World Championship (One time, first)

Personal life

Boku is also a tattoo artist and has a tiger and turtle ship tattooed on his torso. He is a vegan. A

Zainichi Korean comprise ethnic Koreans who have permanent residency status in Japan or who have become Japanese citizens, and whose immigration to Japan originated before 1945, or who are descendants of those immigrants. They are a group distinct from South ...

originally of ancestral Joseon citizenship, Boku acquired South Korean nationality in 2004.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 26–16–2 , Rikuto Shirakawa , TKO (punches and soccer kick) , Rizin 25 – Osaka , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:19 ,

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 26–15–2 , Jin Aoi , Decision (unanimous) , Rizin 23 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 26–14–2 ,

Thanh Le Thanh James Le (born August 28, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist, currently competes in the Featherweight division for the ONE Championship, he is a former ONE Featherweight World Champion. He has competed in Legacy Fighting Alliance. ...

, KO (punches) , ONE: Dreams of Gold , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:28 ,

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

, Thailand , , - , Loss , align=center, 26–13–2 ,

Bruno Pucci Bruno Pucci (born July 23, 1990) is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner who holds a black belt and is best known for winning gold in the featherweight division at the 2009 and 2010 No Gi Grappling World Championships. In total, P ...

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , ONE: Eternal Glory , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:32 , Jakarta, Indonesia , , - , Loss , align=center, 26–12–2 , Christian Lee , KO (slam & punches) , ONE: Warriors of the World , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:24 ,

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 26–11–2 , Eric Kelly , TKO (punches) , ONE: Kings & Conquerors , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:27 ,

Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a p ...

, China , , - , Win , align=center, 25–11–2 ,

Timofey Nastyukhin Timofey Nastyukhin (Russian: Тимофей Настюхин; born on November 24, 1989), is a Russian mixed martial artist. He is a former FILA Pankration world champion. He made his MMA debut in 2010 and currently competes in ONE Championship ...

, TKO (injury) , ONE: Defending Honor , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Sentosa Sentosa Island, known mononymously as Sentosa, and formerly ''Pulau Belakang Mati'', is an island located off the southern coast of Singapore's main island. The island is separated from the main island of Singapore by a channel of water, the K ...

, Singapore , , - , Loss , align=center, 24–11–2 ,

Jadamba Narantungalag Jadamba Narantungalag (born December 16, 1975) is a Mongolian professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer and grappler who has fought for World Victory Road, K-1 MAX, Legend FC, Art of War Fighting Championship, and ONE Championship. Nar ...

, Submission (

Von Flue choke A chokehold, choke, stranglehold or, in Judo, shime-waza ( ja, 絞技, translation=constriction technique) is a general term for a grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air (choking)''The New Oxford Dictionary of English'' ( ...

) , ONE: Ascent To Power , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:27 ,

Kallang Kallang is a planning area and residential town located in the Central Region of Singapore. Development of the town is centered around the Kallang River, the longest river in Singapore. Kallang Planning Area is bounded by Toa Payoh in the ...

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 24–10–2 , Vincent Latoel , TKO (punches and elbows) , ONE: Tribe of Warriors , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:04 , Jakarta,

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 23–10–2 , Major Overall , TKO (punch) , ONE: Pride of Lions , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:19 ,

, , - , Win , align=center, 22–10–2 , Juntaro Ushiku , KO (elbows) , Pancrase 67 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:49 ,

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

, Japan ,

debut. , - , Loss , align=center, 21–10–2 ,

Eduard Folayang Eduard Folayang (born November 22, 1983) is a Filipino mixed martial artist and wushu practitioner who fights in ONE Championship, where he is a two-time ONE Lightweight World Champion. He also competed for Universal Reality Comba ...

, Decision (unanimous) , ONE FC: Rise of Heroes , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Pasay Pasay, officially the City of Pasay ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasay; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 440,656 people. Due to its location j ...

, Philippines , , - , Win , align=center, 21–9–2 , Arnaud Lepont , TKO (punches) , ONE FC: War of Nations , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:06 ,

Kuala Lampur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...

, Malaysia , , - , Loss , align=center, 20–9–2 ,

Vuyisile Colossa Vuyisile Colossa (born 28 June 1982) is a South African professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer, a 5-time world champion in kickboxing and Muay Thai. He has been a professional competitor in kickboxing since 2002 and a professional M ...

, Decision (unanimous) , ONE FC: Champions and Warriors , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Jakarta, Indonesia , , - , Loss , align=center, 20–8–2 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , ONE FC: Kings and Champions , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:01 ,

, Singapore , , - , Win , align=center, 20–7–2 , Zorobabel Moreira , TKO (punches) , ONE FC: Rise of Kings , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:31 ,

, Singapore , , - , Win , align=center, 19–7–2 , Shin Kochiwa , KO (punch) , Shooto: 8th Round , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:07 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–7–2 ,

Kuniyoshi Hironaka is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division. He has formerly competed for the UFC, Shooto, DREAM, and Pancrase. Mixed martial arts career Early career Hironaka made his professional mixed martial arts debut in ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Shooto: Shootor's Legacy 3 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , For the vacant Shooto Welterweight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 18–6–2 ,

Yukinari Tamura Yukinari Tamura (born May 12, 1981) is a Japanese mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-conta ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Shooto: Shootor's Legacy 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 17–6–2 , Yoshihiro Koyama , Decision (unanimous) , Shooto: The Way of Shooto 3: Like a Tiger, Like a Dragon , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 16–6–2 ,

Tony Hervey Tony Hervey (born December 19, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist who last competed in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor from 2006 until 2015, he competed for Bellator, Shooto, and King of the Cage, where he was the Welt ...

, Decision (unanimous) , KOTC: Toryumon , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Okinawa Prefecture, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 15–6–2 ,

, KO (punch) , Shooto: Revolutionary Exchanges 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:54 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–6–2 , Yusuke Endo , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Shooto: Revolutionary Exchanges 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:17 , Tokyo, Japan , For the Shooto Welterweight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 14–5–2 , Yutaka Ueda , TKO (punches) , Shooto: Shooto Tradition Final , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:56 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Draw , align=center, 13–5–2 , Yusuke Endo , Draw , Shooto: Shooto Tradition 5 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–5–1 , Joachim Hansen , Decision (unanimous) , Dream 1: Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 First Round , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Saitama, Saitama, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–4–1 , Artur Oumakhanov , Decision (split) , GCM: Cage Force 5 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 13–3–1 ,

Eiji Mitsuoka is a retired Japanese professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2001 until 2012, Mitsuoka fought for the UFC, DREAM, World Victory Road, PRIDE, Shooto, Cage Force, DEEP and King of the Cage promotions. Mitsuoka's nickna ...

, Decision (split) , GCM: Cage Force 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 12–3–1 , David Gardner , Decision (unanimous) , GCM: Cage Force 3 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3–1 , Jarkko Latomaki , TKO (elbows) , GCM: Cage Force 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:33 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Draw , align=center, 10–3–1 , Kenichiro Togashi , Draw , Shooto: Back To Our Roots 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 10–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , HERO'S 6 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 9–3 ,

Hermes França Hermes França Barros (; born August 26, 1974) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He has competed for the UFC, WEC, MFC, and Israel FC. He is a former WEC Lightweight Champion, and former UFC Lightweight Championship contender. Mixed mar ...

, Decision (majority) , HERO'S 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 8–3 , Ryan Bow , Decision (majority) , Shooto: 1/29 in Korakuen Hall , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , Won Shooto Pacific Rim Welterweight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 7-3 ,

, Decision (Unanimous) , Shooto: 9/26 in Kourakuen Hall , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 6-3 , Kohei Yasumi , Decision (unanimous) , Shooto 2004: 1/24 in Korakuen Hall , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 5–3 , Naoki Matsushita , TKO (punches) , Shooto: Gig Central 4 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:15 ,

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most po ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–3 , Kenichiro Togashi , Submission (armbar) , Shooto 2003: 6/27 in Hiroshima Sun Plaza , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:48 , Hiroshima, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Shooto: 2/6 in Kitazawa Town Hall , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Toniko Junior , TKO (punches) , Shooto: Treasure Hunt 8 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:50 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–1 ,

, Submission (kneebar) , Shooto: Treasure Hunt 6 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:17 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Shooto: Treasure Hunt 4 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Takuhito Hida , Decision (unanimous) , Shooto: Treasure Hunt 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Marc Duncan , Submission (armbar) , Shooto: Gig East 7 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:15 , Tokyo, Japan ,

Kickboxing record

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Boku, Kotetsu Living people 1977 births People from Shizuoka (city) South Korean expatriate sportspeople in Japan South Korean male mixed martial artists Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing karate Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai South Korean male kickboxers Welterweight kickboxers South Korean male karateka South Korean Muay Thai practitioners Zainichi Korean people Tattoo artists Wajitsu Keishukai ONE Championship champions