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Why Did Chan Sung Jung Aka the Korean Zombie Leave UFC?

Published 04/08/2022, 10:55 AM EDT

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It is no surprise that Korean Zombie aka Chan Sung Jung is seen as one of the most exciting fighters in UFC. The veteran mixed martial artist has been in many iconic fights and has a pretty solid resume (17-6-0), with victories over prominent fighters like Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Poirier, Renato Moicano, and Frankie Edgar. His UFC record has seen him pick up 7 wins while losing on only 3 occasions, and once again, he is on the cusp of winning the world title again. 

Fans would argue that Jung had won his bout against a rising star, Yair Rodriguez, but a last-second elbow changed the outcome. Nevertheless, the Korean fighter has once again found himself in the title picture, but his return to the Octagon wasn’t easy, as the mixed martial artist previously retired from fighting due to personal reasons.

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What caused The Korean Zombie to turn away from UFC?

According to a report from Bleacher Report, Jung had to turn away from his favorite sport due to mandatory military service. From 2014 to 2016, the Korean fighter served his country. Being away from the octagon may have slowed his career, but his grand return against Dennis Bermudez at UFC Fight Night 104, saw him pick up a dominant win in just 58 seconds of the first round via vicious ground and pound.

It was quite evident that the 2-year absence barely slowed him down with a renewed motivation. Another loss to former title challenger, Brian Ortega plummeted him further down, but he quickly bounced back in 2021.

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Watch this story: UFC 273: Alexander Volkanovski vs The Korean Zombie: Date Timings, How to Watch, Tickets, and Venue

The featherweight champion, Alexander ‘The Great’ Volkanovski, was originally slated to face number one contender Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway, but an unfortunate forced him to pull out. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Jung as he was offered the title shot against Volkanovski at UFC 273.

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This will serve his second crack at the featherweight gold and it could likely be his last. A loss on Saturday will knock the 35-year-old fighter from the title picture and push his record to 2 losses in his last 4 fights. Return from this spot will not be an easy task, as he will have to go through the murderous row of contenders to once again qualify for a third chance.

Will The Korean Zombie finally realize his lifelong dream this weekend? Share your thoughts below.

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Written by:

Ayank Chourasia

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Ayank Chourasia is an eSports author at EssentiallySports. He has been writing since 2016 across various fields, having done his BBA from T.I.
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Edited by:

Ankit Sharma