UFC Fight Night 117's Syuri Kondo wants to add UFC champ to long list of accomplishments

Syuri Kondo has just about done it all in combat sports and entertainment. But there’s one mountain she hasn’t yet climbed, and that’s in the UFC women’s strawweight division.

“I became a champ in kickboxing and pro wrestling, and when I thought about the next goal, I saw the imagery of the UFC and fighting, and I thought, ‘This is it. This is the top of the world, and that’s where I’m going to go,'” Kondo told MMAjunkie.

On Friday, Kondo (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) made a successful debut with the promotion, outpointing the tough Chan-Mi Jeon (5-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) on the FXX-televised prelims of UFC Fight Night 117 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Even with her extensive experience in kickboxing, karate and pro wrestling, Kondo felt like a newcomer fighting in the octagon.

“Making a debut in the UFC is totally different than other debuts, and my goal is to become a UFC champion one day,” she said. “I think I had a great start.”

It wasn’t an easy first night of work, but Kondo showed off impressive durability and pressure against Jeon, who grunted and screamed through three rounds in the pocket with her older foe. A stinging straight helped Kondo score on Jeon, ut as the fight went into deep waters, her early pressure paid dividends and Jeon faded.

One judge surprisingly called it 29-28 for Jeon. But the remaining two gave Kondo the shutout on scorecards, announcing her entry into the world’s toughest proving ground for MMA fighters.

Kondo, 28, has a long way to go before she’s challenging the likes of Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the octagon. But she’s liking her new home so far and is ready for whatever lies head.

“I was focused so much on this match, so I have no idea who I want to fight next,” Kondo said. “But whoever it’s going to be, I’m going to train hard and make sure I win.”

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 117, check out the UFC Events section of the site.