"Choi's match drove me crazy," he said at a media event in Busan. "I want to let my desperation burst in the fight. I want to feel the excitement of a victory again."

Kang, who has 13 wins and seven losses in MMA fighting, said he has worked hard to improve his weaknesses for about a year after he finished his military service.

"In the past, I lost too much energy in the first round because I wanted to finish the fight early, and that's why I had problems later," he said. "This time, I worked hard to manage the bout wisely."

Kang, nicknamed "Mr. Perfect," said he doesn't feel like he had such an extended hiatus.

"I've never rested this long," he said. "But I gave my best effort to set my mind straight, and I don't feel that I had a long break."

Cannetti, 37, made his UFC debut in 2014. The Argentine has one win and one loss in the UFC.

"Cannetti has power and he has a tough style of fighting," he said. "I will take advantage of my long reach and attack his weaknesses."

Yang Sung-hoon, the head coach of Team MAD, said Kang will show a different fighting style against Cannetti.

"We tried to make Kang an all-round fighter, not just a fighter who is strong in wrestling," he said. "We also worked hard to improve his mental strength." (Yonhap)