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A must-see attraction from the moment he set foot in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Chan Sung Jung rarely fails to entertain the masses. “The Korean Zombie” draws his first assignment of 2019 in the UFC Fight Night 154 main event, where he will do battle with Renato Carneiro on Saturday at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. Injuries and mandatory service in the South Korean military have resulted in lengthy periods of inactivity for Jung, who has fought just twice in the past six years. The 32-year-old featherweight last appeared at UFC Fight Night 139 in November, when he was the victim of a last-second reverse upward elbow from Yair Rodriguez in the consensus “Knockout of the Year.” As Jung prepares for his showdown with Carneiro, here are five things you should know about him.
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Korean Zombie
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1. Positions of prominence have been offered to him.
Jung has headlined the last four UFC events at which he has competed: UFC Fight Night 139, UFC Fight Night 104, UFC 163 and UFC on Fuel TV 3. He owns a 2-2 record in those bouts, his wins over Dennis Bermudez and Dustin Poirier offset by losses to Rodriguez and former featherweight champion Jose Aldo.
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2. Quick-strike capabilities put him in the record book.
“The Korean Zombie” delivered a seven-second knockout against Mark Hominick at UFC 140 on Dec. 10, 2011. It ties him with Todd Duffee and the late Ryan Jimmo for the fastest finish in UFC history.
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3. His highly sought-after services have served him well.
A native of Pohang, South Korea, Jung has competed in seven different mixed martial arts organizations during his 19-fight career. They are the UFC, World Extreme Cagefighting, Sengoku, Deep, Korea Fighting Championship, Pancrase and Super Sambo Festival.
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4. He has cashed in on his prowess.
Jung has been awarded six post-fight bonuses in his six UFC appearances, earning an additional $310,000 in income.
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5. He has mastered the ground offensive.
Jung has delivered more than half (eight) of his 14 professional victories by submission: two by armbar, two by rear-naked choke, two by triangle choke, one by twister and one by brabo choke. Executed upon Leonard Garcia at UFC Fight Night 24, the twister was the first submission of its kind in the UFC.
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