When you think of the name “Korean Zombie,” a few images spring to mind. You think of the crazy wars Chan Sung Jung has been in throughout his excellent mixed martial arts career: the 2012 Fight of the Year with Dustin Poirier, the tilts with Leonard Garcia, the dramatic showdown with Yair Rodriguez. You think of some of his famous finishes: the seven-second KO of Mark Hominick in 2011, his steamrolling of Frankie Edgar, the first-ever twister pulled off in a UFC fight. (Jung learned the move, which he used to tap Garcia in their second bout, by watching YouTube videos.)
Most of all, there’s the indelible impression that the name “Korean Zombie” gives you: a man who seems inhumanly tough, able to shamble through tremendous amounts of punishment and keep moving forward. That’s how Jung became a longtime fan favorite in the UFC featherweight division, and for many years, he certainly was the crazy brawler that his nickname advertised.
But the secret is starting to get out: Chan Sung Jung is a lot more than just a zombie. The 34-year-old featherweight has grown into one of the wiliest veterans in the UFC’s deepest division, becoming one of the sport’s trickiest counter-punchers and a heady and skilled grappler. On Saturday night, he put together every single one of those skills to see off a much younger, rising contender in Dan Ige.
The wild brawling style of Jung’s early career earned him a legion of fans, but the skills he picked up along the way have turned him into a mainstay at the top of the featherweight rankings. Jung’s legendary battle with Poirier happened in May 2012, and his next fight, over a year later, was for the world title. He faced the greatest featherweight of all time, Jose Aldo, at the height of his powers, and lost by fourth-round TKO. Jung then spent the next three and a half years on the shelf, through a combination of injuries and a mandatory stint in the South Korean military.
When he returned, he was a changed fighter. Jung is still a finisher – the decision over Ige was the first time he’s won by decision since joining the UFC in 2011 – but his style is much more cerebral. It was clear very early on that Jung had Ige calculated on the feet, outstriking a faster, younger, more physically talented opponent through good reads and excellent timing.
It wasn’t until the fourth round that Ige seemed to switch up his leads consistently, starting exchanges with a left to the body and throwing off Jung somewhat. Ige did some great work as Jung recalculated, turning the Korean favorite much more static and winning the round. But Jung can grapple too, and his brilliantly timed takedowns proved the difference in the fight. Jung got Ige down and threatened a rear-naked choke to win the second, and with Ige having seized some momentum heading into the fifth, Jung smashed Ige with a knee and took his back, controlling the rest of the way and walking away with the decision win.
Ige showed why he’s a very well-regarded fighter, boasting speed, technique, some pop, and a great gas tank. But Ige has been criticized in the past for poor gameplanning and making questionable decisions in the heat of the fight, mistakes you can’t make against a fighter like Jung. Ige established a rhythm on the feet in the late rounds, but paradoxically decided to clinch and level change in the fifth, when his only real chance at winning was to stand and bring pressure with the hands. Jung’s greatest attribute at this stage of his career is his smarts. When a fighter makes a bad decision like that, it’s not going to pay off against him.
Jung vs. Ige isn’t going to make the list of the most fun or memorable fights of the Korean Zombie’s career, but I got a real joy out of watching it, just to see how much Jung has evolved over the course of his career and see a real veteran at work. No matter what Jung does, people will always expect a certain thing out of him: the name “Korean Zombie” gives one ideas.
But Chan Sung Jung isn’t that hard-headed scrapper anymore. He doesn’t have to be. He’s become one of the best all-around featherweights in the world, on the merits of his own talent and experience. And eight years after he first challenged for a world title, he’s once again not too far away.
The Big Fight 