UFC Career Retrospective: 'The Korean Zombie' Chan Sung Jung

The two-time UFC title challenger put together one of the most entertaining careers in MMA history.

There’s a surprisingly short list of fighters in MMA with nicknames that truly suit them, and the list of fighters better known by those monikers than by their actual given names is even shorter. 

An argument could be made that “The Korean Zombie” belongs at the top of both of those lists, and after fans got to belt out The Cranberries' “Zombie” one final time last weekend it’s time to take a look back at how Chan Sung Jung established himself as one of the most entertaining and beloved fighters in MMA history. 

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Early Career in Asia and Joining WEC

(Josh Hedges)

Jung made his professional debut in 2007 and finished five out of his first six opponents while competing in his native South Korea. Winning three fights in one night as part of Korea FC’s featherweight tournament encouraged Jung to test himself in Japan, where he went 3-1 with all of his wins coming via stoppage before he joined the WEC in 2010.

“The Korean Zombie” put on a Fight of the Night performance in his promotional debut but lost a controversial split decision to Leonard Garcia, and after being stopped by George Roop in his second WEC bout Jung joined the UFC roster as part of the 2010 merger between the two promotions.

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UFC Debut And First Featherweight Title Shot 

(Zuffa LLC)

Jung’s UFC debut provided a chance for revenge when he was once again matched with Garcia, and the South Korean introduced himself to countless new fans in sensational fashion when he became the first fighter in UFC history to win via Twister.

The Garcia victory was followed by a seven-second knockout against Mark Hominick before Jung was given a main event slot against Dustin Poirier, and after the two featherweights combined for a tremendous Fight of the Night battle it was “The Korean Zombie” who came out on top courtesy of a fourth-round D’arce choke.

The incredible start to Jung’s UFC career was enough to earn him a crack at divisional king José Aldo, but unfortunately that fight ended up being the last time fans would see the South Korean enter the cage for more than three years.

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Shoulder Injury, Military Service And UFC Return 

(Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports)

The shoulder injury Jung sustained in his failed title bid against Aldo kept him from a planned return the following year, and ultimately the time required to rehab the injury encouraged the featherweight to step away from fighting and complete his mandatory two-year military service for South Korea.

Jung missed out on several prime years of his career, but he immediately jumped back into a UFC main event upon his return in 2017 and knocked out Dennis Bermudez. A knee injury once again sidelined Jung before he took on Yair Rodriguez, and the South Korean looked set to win a decision following another incredible war before “El Pantera” landed a spinning elbow with one second remaining in the fight.

The South Korean rebounded from the Rodriguez loss with first-round knockouts over Renato Moicano and former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. A decision loss to Brian Ortega snapped his winning run, but after defeating Dan Ige in his seventh-straight UFC main event Jung was tabbed as the next challenger for Alexander Volkanovski.

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Second Featherweight Title Shot And Final Fight 

(Twitter: @BlessedMMA)

Volkanovski had already defended his featherweight title twice before facing Jung at UFC 273, and the South Korean’s legendary toughness saw him soldier on through the kind of punishment that would have dropped lesser fighters before the bout was finally called off early in the fourth round.

Rather than take a step back in competition after coming up short in his second bid for a title, Jung elected to face former champion and all-time featherweight great Max Holloway for the UFC’s return to Singapore. 

Amidst pre-fight rumors that he was considering retirement, “The Korean Zombie” gave fans one last incredible performance where he continually walked forward on Holloway and challenged the former champion with massive shots before he was finally floored by a counter right hand in the third round.

The #UFCSingapore crowd send off TKZ for the final time 🧟👏 pic.twitter.com/shTHtTReC6

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 26, 2023

The South Korean left his gloves in the cage following the loss, and the fans in Singapore gave him a tremendous ovation and sang along to “Zombie” one last time as one of the most entertaining fighters in MMA history made his final walk out of the Octagon.

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