The Singapore Indoor Stadium witnessed one of the most iconic and emotional moments as Chan Sung Jung, better known as ‘The Korean Zombie‘ in the MMA world, bid adieu to the fight game after a third-round knockout loss against featherweight great Max Holloway. The MMA community came together to congratulate Jung on his illustrious career.
The Korean Zombie knew that it was probably the last time he was entering the Octagon, so he went all-in in the third round and launched a rapid attack of punches. However, ‘Blessed‘ stayed calm and composed and managed to connect with a strong right hand, and that was enough to knock his opponent down and secure him a famous victory.
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The fans at the Singapore Indoor Stadium bid farewell to ‘The Korean Zombie‘ by singing the fighter’s trademark entrance song, ‘Zombie‘ by The Cranberries. Chan Sung Jung had previously hinted at retiring after the Holloway fight. He is a fighter who is known to be aggressive and to fight like he is in a war. This has also resulted in him taking a lot of damage in the process.
The Korean featherweight posted an emotional message for his fans on Instagram. He expressed that although he had not achieved everything, he was happy with all that he could. The fighter added that the future makes him worried as he is not sure what he is supposed to do now. “I am lonely, regretful, and scary. I don’t know what to do, but whatever I do, I will do my best, and whatever I do, I will do with all my heart.
He also thanked UFC boss Dana White for giving him the opportunity and Holloway for making his last fight a memorable one.
Unknown records held by “The Korean Zombie,” Chan Sung Jung
There is absolutely no doubt that ‘The Korean Zombie‘ is retiring as one of the greatest featherweight fighters of all time. He joined the UFC in 2011 and secured dominant victories in his first three fights in the world’s largest MMA organization.
A lesser-known fact about him is that he has a UFC streak that puts him only behind one of the greatest fighters of all time, Jon Jones. Chan Sung Jung has headlined every card he has featured in since 2012, so he has been a part of 10 main event fights. The only person above him in this list is ‘Bones’, with 16 headliners. The interesting part here is that the last card in which the Korean fighter featured but did not headline was UFC 140 in 2011, and that card was headlined by Jon Jones.
The Korean Zombie has headlined every UFC event he’s competed on since 2012.
The only fighter on the current the roster with a longer streak is Jon Jones.
16 straight main events dating back to 2011.
— Andy Hickey MMA (@AndyHickeyMMA) August 26, 2023
While MMA is a sport that knows no boundaries and the better fighter wins no matter what their background is, Jung is by far the most successful Korean fighter in the UFC. He has been able to be a top featherweight contender throughout his career, which has spanned over 12 years. He has also fought two title fights and given tough competition to champions like Alexander Volkanovski and Jose Aldo.
Many believe that his mandatory military service for his nation, South Korea, took away the prime days of his career. However, that does not dent the legendary career of ‘The Korean Zombie’, who has been an absolute warrior and a true representative of the fight game.