Quick Facts
Biography
Kwon Won-il (Korean: 권원일; born June 24, 1995) is a South Korean mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division of ONE Championship. As of March 6, 2023, he is ranked #4 in the ONE Bantamweight rankings.
Background
Kwon was born on June 24, 1996, in Daejeon, South Korea's fifth-largest city, about 150 kilometers south of the capital of Seoul. His martial arts journey began when he joined his elementary school’s taekwondo team, where he showed natural talent and advanced beyond provincial competitions to participate in the national youth tournament.
However, Kwon was far from a model student. He quit taekwondo when he graduated from elementary school, citing a lack of direction and getting into fights with other students. Eventually, he was ordered to be transferred to another school. After being informed of the news, his mother cried in front of the school's principal, and Kwon was motivated to better himself.
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Kwon started his professional MMA career in 2014, fighting primarily in South Korea and Japan. He amassed a record of 4–0 prior to his signing with ONE Championship.
ONE Championship
Kwon made his promotional debut against Anthony Engelen on January 19, 2019, at ONE: Eternal Glory. He won the fight via 67 second technical knockout in the first round.
Kwon faced Masakazu Imanari on February 22, 2019, at ONE: Call to Greatness. He lost the fight via a heel hook submission in 53 second from the first round.
Kwon faced former ONE Featherweight World Championship challenger Eric Kelly April 12, 2019, at ONE: Roots of Honor. He won the fight via 19 second technical knockout in the first round.
Kwon faced Koyomi Matsushima on June 15, 2019, at ONE: Legendary Quest. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Kwon faced Sunoto Peringkat on October 13, 2019, at ONE: Century – Part 1. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.
Kwon faced Shoko Sato on January 31, 2020, at ONE: Fire & Fury. He lost the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the first round.
Kwon faced Bruno Pucci on October 30, 2020, and aired on November 20, 2022, at ONE: Inside the Matrix 4. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.
Kwon faced Chen Rui on January 20, 2021, and aired on January 27, 2021, at ONE: Unbreakable 2. He won the fight via technical knockout in the third round.
Kwon faced former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin Belingon on December 3, 2021, and aired on December 17, 2021, at ONE: Winter Warriors II. He won the fight via knockout in the second round.
Kwon faced Fabrício Andrade on June 3, 2022, at ONE 158. He lost the fight via a body kick knockout in the first round.
Kwon was scheduled to face Mark Abelardo on November 19, 2022, at ONE on Prime Video 4. However, on November 4, it was announced that the bout was moved to ONE 163. He won the fight via technical knockout in the third round.
Kwon faced Artem Belakh on June 10, 2023, at ONE Fight Night 11. He won the fight via TKO in the second round.
Kwon faced Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg on January 14, 2023, at ONE Fight Night 18. He won the fight via technical knockout in the round two.
Titles and accomplishments
Professional
- ONE Championship
- Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Artem Belakh and Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg
- Most finishes in ONE Bantamweight Division (9)
Mixed martial arts record
| 17 matches | 13 wins | 4 losses |
| By knockout | 11 | 1 |
| By submission | 1 | 2 |
| By decision | 1 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 13–4 | Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg | TKO (elbows) | ONE Fight Night 18 | January 13, 2024 | 2 | 2:40 | Bangkok, Thailand | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 12–4 | Artem Belakh | TKO (punches) | ONE Fight Night 11 | June 10, 2023 | 2 | 3:57 | Bangkok, Thailand | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 11–4 | Mark Abelardo | TKO (knee and punches) | ONE 163 | November 19, 2022 | 3 | 3:44 | Kallang, Singapore | |
| Loss | 10–4 | Fabrício Andrade | KO (body kick) | ONE 158 | June 3, 2022 | 1 | 1:02 | Kallang, Singapore | |
| Win | 10–3 | Kevin Belingon | KO (punch to the body) | ONE: Winter Warriors II | December 17, 2021 | 2 | 0:52 | Kallang, Singapore | |
| Win | 9–3 | Chen Rui | TKO (punches) | ONE: Unbreakable 2 | January 29, 2021 | 3 | 0:31 | Kallang, Singapore | |
| Win | 8–3 | Bruno Pucci | TKO (punches) | ONE: Inside the Matrix 4 | November 20, 2020 | 1 | 2:00 | Kallang, Singapore | |
| Loss | 7–3 | Shoko Sato | Submission (rear-naked choke) | ONE: Fire & Fury | January 31, 2020 | 1 | 4:05 | Pasay, Philippines | Return to Featherweight. |
| Win | 7–2 | Sunoto Peringkat | TKO (punches) | ONE: Century – Part 1 | October 13, 2019 | 1 | 1:43 | Tokyo, Japan | Catchweight (150 lb) bout. |
| Loss | 6–2 | Koyomi Matsushima | Decision (unanimous) | ONE: Legendary Quest | June 15, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Shanghai, China | |
| Win | 6–1 | Eric Kelly | TKO (punches) | ONE: Roots of Honor | April 12, 2019 | 1 | 0:19 | Pasay, Philippines | |
| Loss | 5–1 | Masakazu Imanari | Submission (heel hook) | ONE: Call to Greatness | February 22, 2019 | 1 | 0:53 | Kallang, Singapore | Featherweight bout. |
| Win | 5–0 | Anthony Engelen | TKO (punches) | ONE: Eternal Glory | January 19, 2019 | 1 | 1:07 | Jakarta, Indonesia | Lightweight debut. |
| Win | 4–0 | Toshihiro Shimizu | Decision (split) | NeoFight 14 | October 20, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Gyeonggi, South Korea | |
| Win | 3–0 | Arlan Faurillo | TKO (punches) | URCC Bets 7: Battle Extreme Tournament of Superstars 7 | September 14, 2018 | 1 | N/A | Manila, Philippines | |
| Win | 2–0 | Kim Sung-hyun | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Top FC 8 | August 15, 2015 | 1 | 4:10 | Seoul, South Korea | Featherweight debut. |
| Win | 1–0 | Hirotaka Miyakawa | TKO (punches) | Deep 66 Impact | April 29, 2014 | 1 | 0:36 | Tokyo, Japan | Bantamweight debut. |