MMA News

Tag: the korean zombie

  • The Korean Zombie Is Looking For The Best Street Fighters In Korea

    UFC featherweight contender Chan Sung Jung (otherwise known as ‘The Korean Zombie’ is traveling around Korea looking for fighters.

    The Korean Zombie is set to face UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski in the main event of UFC 273. He stepped up for Max Holloway after Holloway suffered an injury shortly after the trilogy was originally announced.

    Jung has won three of his last four and has re-emerged in the featherweight title picture despite a recent loss to Brian Ortega. He most recently defeated Dan Ige via unanimous decision last June.

    Jung is seen as a hero in South Korea. He has risen to prominence ever since he first challenged for the featherweight title against then-champion José Aldo at UFC 163.

    But The Korean Zombie is looking to make an impact outside of the UFC Octagon in his home country.

    During a recent joint interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Jung’s coach Eddie Cha made an exciting announcement regarding Jung’s journey in content creation.

    “Go check out Zombie’s YouTube channel, he has over like 600 thousand subscribers,” Cha said of Jung. “Literally it’s gone viral, he’s got some cool stuff. His latest show right now that he’s doing, it’s kinda like a “Bully Beatdown.” They’re actually going from city to city to find who the best street fighters are and they kind of do a five-round scrap, they’ll give em five-grand. Not to win, but if they perform well. So he’s going from city to city [in Korea] to find the best fighters in the world.”

    Jung has posted a variety of content on his YouTube channel, including food challenges and inside footage of his fight camps. He’s looking to pull off a shocking upset over Volkanovski and help promote the sport in South Korea in the process.

    What is your prediction for Alexander Volkanovski vs. Chan Sung Jung?

  • Korean Zombie Plans To Pick Ortega’s Brains Ahead Of Volkanovski Fight

    UFC featherweight contender Chan Sung Jung, otherwise known as ‘The Korean Zombie, plans to utilize his old rival for Alexander Volkanovski.

    Jung has been training at the growing Fight Ready gym in Arizona, alongside former UFC champions such as Jon Jones and Henry Cejudo. He has also come across Brian Ortega, a former rival of his who recently fell to Volkanovski at UFC 266.

    Jung will step up and fight Volkanovski in substitute of Max Holloway, who pulled out of UFC 273 just days after it was first announced. This will be Jung’s second title shot after falling to José Aldo at UFC 163.

    Jung plans to use all resources he can to prepare for arguably the biggest fight of his career against Volkanovski. During a recent interview with The Schmo, Jung hinted at working with Ortega in the lead up to his fight with Volkanovski.

    “I’d love to pick his brain a little bit,” Jung said. “I know he went back to California yesterday, so I’m looking for him to come back so we can talk about it a little more.”

    Jung earned the next title shot after winning three of his last four fights in the Octagon. He most recently put on a dominant performance against Dan Ige last June after falling to Ortega in a lopsided defeat.

    Volkanovski earned the title over Holloway at UFC 245 before defending it against him at UFC 251. The rematch was controversial, and some believe Holloway deserved to get the win on the scorecards.

    Regardless, Jung will get the next featherweight title shot and an opportunity to become the first Korean-born UFC champion. He’ll look to shock the world at UFC 273, with potentially the help of his former adversary Ortega.

    What is your prediction for The Korean Zombie vs. Alexander Volkanovski?

  • Korean Zombie: Max Holloway’s Recovery “Doesn’t Make Sense”

    UFC featherweight contender “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung has questioned Max Holloway’s fast recovery from injury, which has seen the former champion pursue backup status for UFC 273.

    In the pay-per-view’s main event, reigning 145-pound king Alexander Volkanovski will hope to successfully defend his gold for the third time. In his way of doing so will be a UFC veteran renowned for his exciting style and thrilling performances throughout over a decade in the promotion.

    Volkanovski was initially slated to share the Octagon with Holloway, who’d earned another shot at reclaiming the belt with 2021 victories over Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodriguez, for a third time at next month’s UFC 272 event.

    When “Blessed” withdrew after aggravating a previous injury, the hunt for a replacement was on. Despite the pitches from Giga Chikadze, Henry Cejudo, Josh Emmett, and Rodriguez, it was “The Korean Zombie” who was granted the chance to dethrone “The Great” Volkanovski at the April 9 event.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CZnhjU5tQNd/

    Despite withdrawing from his scheduled trilogy bout with Volkanovski, it was recently revealed that Holloway has returned to training and is even open to serving as a backup fighter for the UFC 273 headliner.

    Korean Zombie Joins The Sceptical Side

    While Volkanovski made his feelings about the fast recovery crystal clear in a post on Twitter, accusing his rival of faking an injury in order to avoid a potential third defeat to the Aussie, others, including former opponent Kattar, have suggested it’s wrong to question Holloway’s withdrawal.

    Now, with opinion largely split, the new next challenger for the featherweight strap has given his take on the latest revelations. During an interview with The Schmo, “The Korean Zombie” suggested Holloway’s ability to make the UFC 273 event “doesn’t make sense.”

    Nevertheless, Jung claimed that while he won’t be pulling out himself, he’s open to an interim title clash with “Blessed” should Volkanovski be forced out of the PPV for whatever reason.

    “It doesn’t make sense that he’s gonna be ready to go in a month,” Jung said via Coach Eddie Cha. “It’s pretty crazy. (I) won’t be getting injured. (I’ll) be making April 9th. So, if Volkanovski gets injured, (I’m) down to fight Holloway.”

    If Holloway is not required on April 9, it’s likely the UFC 273 main event victor will be standing opposite him in the cage later this year for what will either be Volkanovski’s third clash with “Blessed” and fourth title defense, or Zombie’s first defense and first meeting with Holloway.

    What do you make of Alexander Volkanovski and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung’s comments about Max Holloway’s fast recovery?

  • Volkanovski: If I Was Going To Fight Cejudo, It Would’ve Been At UFC 273

    UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski is hinting that a potential matchup against Henry Cejudo might’ve already come and gone.

    Volkanovski is slated to face Chan Sung Jung, otherwise known as “The Korean Zombie” at UFC 273. Volkanovski was originally supposed to face Max Holloway in a trilogy next before Holloway suffered an injury shortly after the booking was announced.

    One of the first names that put themselves in the conversation to step up and fight Volkanovski was Henry Cejudo. He has long hinted at a UFC comeback to challenge for the featherweight title and the chance to become a three-division world champion.

    The two have gone back-and-forth in a series of interviews and social media posts, but a fight between them hasn’t materialized. UFC President Dana White has been non-committal regarding a potential superfight between Volkanovski and Cejudo.

    During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Volkanovski gave his thoughts on a clash with Cejudo.

    “I don’t even mind the guy,” Volkanovski said. “Obviously, we have a bit of fun and he’s always trying to troll me and get under my skin and make that fight happen.

    “Again, I get people who are going to say I’m running and whatnot. The UFC never brought up his name, ever. And it was never mentioned to me, it was never even close to an option. How am I going to take it seriously if the UFC doesn’t take it seriously? And I don’t even know if Henry is really taking it serious. But man, I like the guy. He’s got great skills. You’ve you’ve done great things in other divisions. And you retired, so it just doesn’t make sense.

    “If there was ever a time that I was going to do it, it probably would be now,” Volkanovski added. “But again, the UFC weren’t going to bring it up. They’re thinking that what’s the point? You don’t deserve it. And then what if you do somehow get it done — you’re just going to retire and [drop the belt again]? Even though I heard Henry say, ‘Oh, if I do that, I’ll stay,’ I don’t think they believe that. But you wouldn’t have had to worry about that anyway.”

    White has been critical of how Cejudo and his management have handled their desire for a fight with Volkanovski. Cejudo announced his retirement from MMA following his bantamweight title defense against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249.

    Holloway has been cleared to resume training following his injury and could serve as the backup to UFC 273. While nothing is certain regarding the featherweight title picture, Holloway will more than likely get the Volkanovski/Korean Zombie winner next.

    Meanwhile, it appears that the Volkanovski vs. Cejudo window for a fight has been closed, at least for now.

    What is your prediction for a hypothetical fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Henry Cejudo?

  • Korean Zombie Set To Challenge Alex Volkanovski At UFC 273

    The Korean Zombie has been selected to replace Max Holloway as UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski’s next title defense.

    Shortly after news broke that Holloway was out of his UFC 272 fight against Volkanovski, people started to wonder what will be next for the champion. Many names were suggested for Volkanovski, with Chan Sung Jung, better known as The Korean Zombie, being one of them.

    Now, according to MMA reporter Ariel Helwani, the bout is a “done deal” to take place on the April 9th pay-per-view. It was also revealed that Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan II will take place on this same card.

    This is a fight that the champion himself pushed for after Holloway withdrew from the bout.

    “Let’s do this!! #UFC272” Volkanovski tweeted last week.

    Zombie Coming Off Recent Main Event Win

    Image Credit: Mark J. Rebilas of USA TODAY Sports

    Volkanovsk’s canceled defense against Holloway would have been a trilogy fight. His second fight against Holloway came in 2020 and saw him defend his belt for the first time in split-decision fashion.

    Volkanovski has since defended his belt again, going five rounds against Brian Ortega for a scorecard victory.

    The Korean Zombie made a clear push towards a title fight in 2019, attaining first-round wins over Renato Moicano and Frankie Edgar. That momentum was later stopped by Ortega, who beat him in the main event of a show in 2020.

    Zombie has since bounced back with a big win, beating Dan Ige via unanimous decision in June 2021.

    Who do you think will win this featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and The Korean Zombie?

  • Josh Emmett Targets Title Eliminator Against “The Korean Zombie”

    UFC featherweight Josh Emmett is hoping his next appearance in the Octagon will be a title eliminator against veteran contender “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung.

    Emmett’s surge towards the title stalled last year following his clash with Shane Burgos. While securing a unanimous decision victory over “Hurricane” in a Fight of the Night contest, the 36-year-old was left with an ACL tear that saw him on the sidelines for well over a year.

    Having overcome the serious knee injury, Emmett returned to action at UFC 269, the final pay-per-view of 2021. Against tough and gritty contender Dan Ige, Emmett became a useful piece of evidence for those who doubt the existence of ring rust.

    After three rounds of preliminary card action, which saw the Phoenix native put his power on full display with a first-frame knockdown, Emmett fell on the right side of a close decision.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CXggzJoJYqm/

    Emmett Lays Out Path To The Title

    Having cemented his spot just outside the featherweight top five, extended his win streak to four, and reminded the rest of the division of his presence, Emmett is looking to stake his claim for a championship opportunity in 2022.

    During a recent interview with The Hannibal TV, Emmett discussed his options moving forward. With most top contenders pre-occupied or coming off a loss, presuming Max Holloway fights for the belt next, the 36-year-old believes there is only one man who can stand opposite him in the cage for a title eliminator.

    “The only person that’s in front of me coming off a win, and that’s not booked, is Korean Zombie. So it’s like, that would be awesome to fight Korean Zombie in a title eliminator, and then the winner gets the winner of the trilogy fight (Volkanovski vs. Holloway 3)… Giga (Chikadze) and Calvin Kattar are fighting soon, so there’s no one available in front of me (except Zombie).”

    Emmett also revealed some frustration with regards to how the UFC have booked him in the past. Having watched a number of names rise the divisional ladders after receiving opportunities against higher-ranked names, Emmett questioned why he’s always been made to fight down the rankings.

    He’s looking to change that in 2022, and says he won’t be fighting a featherweight below him. If the UFC is to heed to those demands, it stands to reason we’ll be seeing Emmett and “The Korean Zombie” throwing bombs inside the Octagon in the coming months.

    “I really want a title eliminator, I’ve fought everybody behind me and I’m one of the only guys they only offer fights behind me. Everyone else, they’re not even ranked in the top 15, then they get a fight in the top 10, and then they’re fighting someone in the top five. I don’t really get it. I do not want to fight anyone behind me. I want my next fight to be a title eliminator. There’s only one guy coming off a win that’s available and I would love to fight him.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CNK-Mz-BEvH/

    After back-to-back victories over Renato Moicano and Frankie Edgar in 2019, Chan Sung Jung saw his immediate title hopes shattered by Brian Ortega in a 2020 main event. But the 34-year-old brawler burst back into the conversation with a headlining decision triumph over Ige earlier this year.

    With both Josh Emmett and “The Korean Zombie” coming off impressive decisions against “50K,” it seemingly makes sense to match the pair up for a 2022 showdown.

    How do you think a fight between Josh Emmett and “The Korean Zombie” would play out?