Who Is Choo Sung-hoon, the Famous MMA Fighter?

Celebrity / TV

Choo Sung-hoon had a long career in martial arts and was on reality TV before 'Physical 100.'

Published on January 28, 2023

Physical 100 shows a wide variety of athleticism in hopes of seeing who has the “perfect body.” The Netflix show kicked off with the cast meeting each other, and one person stood out. Here is everything you need to know about MMA fighter Choo Sung-hoon.

[SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for Physical 100 episodes 1-2.] 

The ‘Physical 100’ cast was starstruck by Choo Sung-hoon

The first episode, “The Pecking Order,” showed the cast entering a room with sculptures of their upper body. This was the first time they got to size each other up and talk.

There were a few people who caused a stir, and one of them was Sung-Hoon. Multiple people clapped for him, and he bowed in return. Some said they felt like a fan and couldn’t believe they were in the same space as the MMA fighter. Other competitors no longer felt like they belonged on the same reality TV show.

“I’m at ONE championship. I’m an MMA fighter, Choo Sung-Hoon,” he said in his introduction. “I started judo at three or four and trained until I was 30. After that, I did MMA for 17 years. I compete with younger people, too. I want to show people that even at this age, there’s a way to beat young people. Don’t underestimate this middle-aged guy.”

How old is Choo Sung-hoon on ‘Physical 100’?

Sung-hoon’s native name is Yoshihiro Akiyama, and he is 47 years old. He also has the nickname “Sexyama.”

He’s been married to Japanese fashion model Shiho Yano since 2009, and they have a daughter named Choo Sarang. This isn’t the first time the father has been on a reality TV show. He previously was on The Return of Superman with his daughter. The funny show had celebrity dads take care of their kids by themselves, which is very different from their usual routine.

Sung-hoon was a gold medalist in the 2001 Asian Judo Championships for South Korea, the 2002 Asian Games for Japan and is contracted with ONE Championship. In March 2022, he fought 39-year-old Shinya Aoki and won by technical knockout.

The stylish althete also has his own clothing brand called Sung 1975. The online store includes hoodies, sweatshirts, and t-shirts. He has the name of the brand tattooed on his forearms.

Sung-hoon already faced his first challenge

The competition started with the cast competing to be the person to hold themselves up on the bars the longest. Some of the bigger competitors fell first. They were then ranked from one to 100. The people ranked in the top 50 got to pick which people they’d fight in a one-on-one match.

Sung-hoon placed 59, and people were surprised when he was chosen for a match. “Frankly, I was surprised,” he said in the episode. “I thought obviously they should avoid me.” The episode made sure to hide the man who picked him.

Fans will have to wait to see who was bold enough to choose the accomplished fighter. But he has to be younger because the celebrity said he’ll show the strength of a middle-aged man shouldn’t be underestimated.

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