Tottenham captain Son Heung-min found himself employed as a piece of exercise equipment by a combat sports star during the club’s pre-season tour of South Korea.
On Saturday morning Son announced that he would leave Spurs after a decade in north London to seek out a new challenge.
The 33-year-old has been linked with MLS side Los Angeles FC and is understood to favour a move stateside as his time in the Premier League comes to a close.
On Sunday Spurs face Newcastle in a pre-season clash at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, with a sell-out crowd of 66,000 fans expected to be in attendance.
However, before he can bow out in front of his countrymen Son and his Tottenham team-mates were treated to some pre-match festivities in the South Korean capital, including meeting a bonafide giant.
As the team were completing media duties, Son met up with combat sports star Choi Hong-man.
Son Heung-min was manhandled by South Korean MMA star Choi Hong-man ahead of Tottenham’s clash with Spurs
On Saturday morning the Tottenham captain tearfully announced he would leave the club after a decade
The 7ft 2in 2005 K-1 Seoul Grand Prix winner subsequently proceeded to lift Son into his arms and cradle the winger like a baby.
An embarrassed Son could only hide his laughter as the assembled photographers rushed to get a shot of the bizarre sight.
Choi was later seen play fighting with some of Son’s team-mates including Pape Mata Sarr, who was trapped in a bearhug by the 350lb colossus.
Despite his extensive kickboxing background the 44-year-old Choi is most famous for his forays into MMA between 2006 and 2016.
During that time Choi fought arguably the two greatest heavyweight fighters of the era, Fedor Emelianenko and Mirko Cro Cop.
The 44-year-old was also scheduled to be Brock Lesnar’s first MMA opponent when the WWE transitioned from the world of professional wrestling in 2007.
A pre-fight medical screening ultimately scuppered the bout however due to a tumor to his pituitary gland that was later removed through surgery.
The friendly between Spurs and Newcastle kicks off tomorrow at 12pm BST.
The 44-year-old Choi also playfully locked Spurs star Pape Matar Sarr in a bear bug
Choi has had an extensive career in combat sports, and was at one time scheduled to face Brock Lesnar in MMA
Speaking ahead of the game Tottenham boss Thomas Frank heaped praise on his departing captain.
‘I think it’s very clear,’ Frank said. ‘It’s no secret that Sonny will start and will lead the team out as captain.
‘I’m looking forward to that in many ways and if it is to be the last game for Sonny, what a place to do it in South Korea, his home country in front of his home fans.
‘That could potentially be a beautiful ending. First and foremost with the biggest respect to Sonny and what he’s done for the club.’
