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‘The Crank’ not taking new foe lightly
Frank “The Crank” Camacho, left, keeps his hands up to defend himself against the attack of Korean Han Seul Kim during the first round of their match in PXC 54 in July last year at the University of Guam Calvo Field House. (Pacific Xtreme Photo)
Frank “The Crank” Camacho is leaving no room for complacency even if he will be facing a relatively newcomer in Xtreme Combat’s Gun Hwan Park in next month’s Rites of Passage 21: Throwdown.
“I will approach this fight the same way I approached my previous bouts. I am having my usual preparation, getting the gym time in, drilling, and conditioning. The beauty of martial arts is not only the constant growth but also the constant search for ‘yourself.’ I need to bring back to old Crank and combine him with better fight IQ and wisdom,” said Camacho, who will be up against a new opponent as his rematch with Hyun Joo Kim did not materialize after the Korean got a better offer to fight in Japan the same weekend ROP 21 is scheduled.
Camacho and Kim met in ROP 20: Conquer in August last year with the Trench Tech bet earning a TKO win at the 3:17 mark of the opening round of their five-round bout after peppering the latter with powerful strikes.
Taking the place of Kim was his compatriot, who just started seeing action in the octagon cage in 2015. Despite his limited experience, Park boasts an impressive record of 3-1. The 6’1” Korean won his debut on the eight sides after stopping Kan Hosa via TKO (punches) at the 2:39 mark of Round 1 of their welterweight duel in Wardog Cage Fight 4 last May 31, 2015. Park then fell (TKO/punches) to fellow Korean Yul Kim in Top FC 11 in May 2016, but bounced back with two straight victories in the same Top FC event. In Top FC Dream 1, Park used a rear-naked choke on Dae Sun Hwang to get the win just 25 seconds into the fight. For his third and latest win, Park edged (unanimous decision) Jae Young Ahn in Top FC 14 in May this year.
The Korean’s strong start in his young MMA career plus his eagerness to put on a great show in his debut on Saipan in front of the partisan crowd would make Park a tough opponent, according to Camacho.
“At the end of the day, this dude is going try to whoop me up and finish me in front of my home island. He is going be behind enemy lines, I know that, and that can make opponents like him very dangerous,” said the 27-year-old fighter.
Camacho will put his 19-4 record on the line when he square off against Park in the main event of the May 26 competition that will be held at the Marianas Business Plaza’s parking lot.
Park will be the fourth Korean to challenge Camacho, who holds a 2-1 record against the former’s compatriots. Besides beating Hyun Joo Kim last year, Camacho also downed Jae Woong Kim (arm triangle choke) in the first round (4:38) of their bout in Trench Warz 18: Rock and Rumble in December 2014. Camacho’s lone loss to a Korean was courtesy of Han Seul Kim, who registered a TKO win in the first round of their match in PXC 54 in July last year.
Meanwhile, Camacho will warm-up for his anticipated clash against Park by joining the Marianas Open 2017 (grappling and submission competition) that will take place at the end of the month.
