By the Numbers: Gavin Tucker vs. Sung Woo Choi

Mark RaymundoJul 25, 2019


The ordering process for Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-views has changed: UFC 240 is only available on ESPN+ in the U.S.

Sung Woo Choi fell short in his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut and will want nothing more than to bounce back in his next fight. He will have to deal with the returning Gavin Tucker, owner of a 1-1 Octagon ledger. The two featherweights are set to trade blows on July 27 at UFC 240. Read some numbers below that may prove significant in their upcoming bout.

Age, height and arm reach

Choi will turn 27 on Nov. 3 and is six years younger than Tucker, who was born on June 17, 1986. At 5’11”, Choi is four inches taller than Tucker and also has a huge reach advantage. His arm reach measures 74” while Tucker’s registers at 66”.

UFC appearances

Both fighters are fairly new to the UFC. Tucker only has two Octagon fights. He debuted on Feb. 19, 2017 with a decision victory over veteran Sam Sicilia at UFC Fight Night 105. His next fight didn’t go his way as he lost to Rick Glenn, also by decision. Choi, meanwhile, started his UFC career with a decision loss to Movsar Evloev in April of this year at UFC Fight Night 149.

Longest winning streak

Tucker’s loss to Glenn was the first of his career. The Canadian featherweight won 10 straight fighting mostly in Nova Scotia-based Extreme Cage Combat, where he became the featherweight champion. He defended the belt once before relinquishing it to join the UFC.

Like Tucker, Choi also piled up consecutive wins to kick off his career. He was successful five times, displaying his skills in South Korea, China and Kazakhstan. His winning run ended with a knockout to compatriot Jae Woong Kim, a loss he later avenged, also with a knockout.

Knockout rate

With five out of his seven wins coming by KO or TKO, Choi owns a 71 percent knockout rate. He starched Tae Seung Yoon, Tae Seok Oh, Min Gu Lee, Young Bok Kil and as aforementioned, Kim. As for Tucker, he has scored four wins by KO or TKO, making for a 40 percent knockout rate. His victims are Michael Waugh, Robert Rende, David Harris and Chris Coggins.

Submission rate

Between the two fighters, it is Tucker who has shown more dynamism in his game. He owns four victories by submission, having tapped out Christopher Corporon, David Spence, Jeremy Henry and Lyndon Whitlock. Meanwhile, Choi has yet to stop anyone by submission.

Significant strikes landed in UFC debut

Tucker outlanded Sicilia 55-10 in his UFC debut. He also scored one takedown to capture the victory. As for Choi, he only landed 26 as opposed to Evloev’s 50 in his debut fight. He was also taken down five times, which led to his unsuccessful maiden UFC bout.

First-round finishes

Both Choi and Tucker have their share of fights that ended early. Choi parades three first-round finishes, knocking out the aforementioned Yoon, Oh and Kil. Tucker, on the other hand, has four stoppages in round one. He starched Waugh and Coggins and submitted Spence and Corporon.