Kyung Ho Kang 'a bit nervous' ahead of return from 19-month layoff at UFC on ESPN 28

Kyung Ho Kang admits he’s feeling a lot of anticipation around his first bout since December 2019 at UFC on ESPN 28.

Kang (17-8 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is set to return to action in Saturday’s co-headliner when he takes on Rani Yahya (27-10-1 MMA, 12-4-1 UFC) in an ESPN-televised bantamweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He hopes the layoff will play no role in how he performs.

There are no guarantees when it comes to time off, though, and although Kang is open about his emotions, he expects to be fueled by them rather than hindered.

“It’s been a while,” Kang told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter during Thursday’s UFC on ESPN 28 media day. “I’m a bit nervous but my conditioning is great. … Right now I’m just focused on this fight itself, and once after I win, I would like to take the time about fighting someone within my rank.”

Watch the video above for Kang’s complete media day appearance where he discusses how this layoff compares to others, his change in hairstyle, and much more.