The real reason behind mixed martial artist Choi Hong Man’s four-year hiatus has finally been revealed.
Ahead of its latest broadcast, tvN’s You Quiz on the Block released a teaser video titled “The Return of the Techno Goliath—Choi Hong Man Reveals Why He Disappeared and Shares Details About His Recent Love Life.”
During the show, host Yoo Jae Suk recalled, “After two years as a ssireum (Korean traditional wrestling) athlete, you switched to K-1. Then, just three months later, you won your K-1 debut match.”
Choi Hong Man responded, “At that time, mixed martial arts was still unfamiliar to many people in Korea. I think I helped spark the MMA boom.”
However, at the peak of his career in 2008, Choi Hong Man suddenly disappeared from the public eye. When asked why, he revealed, “During a health check-up, doctors found a tumor in my brain. Around that time, I fought Badr Hari. The match went into an extra round because there was no decision after the third, but I had to give up midway. I wasn’t in pain, but afterward, I received a lot of harsh criticism.”
He went on, “That’s when I started to build up emotional scars. Not long after, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. It had already metastasized, and her condition became critical. My mother was my whole world. She wasn’t just on my side—she was my only ally,” he said, breaking into tears.
When asked about his current worries, Choi Hong Man replied, “People seem to want me to have children. A lot of people have been telling me that, so I’m trying.” Yoo Jae Suk then joked, “Didn’t you say on another show that you were seeing someone recently? So who exactly wants you to have a baby?”—raising even more curiosity about Choi Hong Man’s personal life.
