Standing 7’2” tall and known to weigh in well over 350 lbs., South Korean kickboxer Hong Man Choi is one of the biggest competitors to ever fight in mixed martial arts and the largest to ever fight in K-1. His original background was in the Korean wrestling art known as Ssireum (similar to sumo) in which he was a champion. After beginning his pro kickboxing career in the K-1 promotion with six straight victories, including one over Bob Sapp, Choi entered professional MMA competition, where he has assembled a pedestrian record nearing the .500 mark.

Choi played sacrificial lamb in two of his highest-profile MMA matches, which pitted him against world class heavyweight fighters Fedor Emelienanko and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, respectively. Choi managed to give Emelianenko some trouble in the first round before succumbing to an armbar. Choi's sheer physical size has allowed him to overwhelm some smaller opponents, and he bears the distinction of dealing former professional baseball player Jose Canseco a loss in Canseco's MMA debut. Choi outweighed Canseco by 80 lbs. in the matchup. 

Choi was supposed to be Brock Lesnar's debut opponent but Choi was denied his California fighter's license when a benign tumor on his pituitary gland was found. He was set to serve South Korea's mandatory 2 year military service but after failing medical tests, the main problem being with his sight in his left eye which was a result of the tumor, he was relieved from duty. Choi's decreasing health eventually caused him to retire from combat sports.

Since leaving MMA and Kickboxing Choi has made forays into other forms of entertainment and has increased his already high popularity. He has began a music career with supermodel Kang Soo Hee as the duo Beauty & The Beast, made his movie debut in the film Goemon, has made appearances on a variety of TV shows in Japan and South Korea such as Strong Heart, Invincible Youth 2, and Kaibutsu-kun, and has done a number of endorsement work with things such as Lotte and the videogame LittleBigPlanet.