Chan Sung Jung thinks he can do what no other fighter has done in the UFC: defeat Alexander Volkanovski.
Better known to fans as “The Korean Zombie,” Jung (16-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) has won three of four fights since returning from a mandatory military commitment in his home country of South Korea.
Most recently, Jung ran through Frankie Edgar at UFC on ESPN+ 23 in December. Prior to that, he floored and finished Renato Moicano in June. The victories have led some fans to call Jung “Korean Zombie 2.0.”
So what’s been the difference? Jung gives credit to Fight Ready MMA in Scottsdale, Ariz. When his striking coach, Eddie Cha, moved from The MMA Lab to Fight Ready MMA, Jung decided to move with him. According to Jung, Cha has been a major key to his success over his past two training camps.
“As I have mentioned in almost all the interviews, I’m still in awe of the way the coaches at Fight Ready in Arizona – Eddie (Cha), Eric (Albarracin), and Santino (DeFranco) – have prepared for my fight, such as the game plan, their skills, etc.,” Jung told MMA Junkie.
All three of his coaches set him up well for a five-round fight, Jung explained. He just hasn’t been able to show those newly-acquired skills yet. His most recent two fights lasted a combined 4:16.
“I (haven’t been) able to use all the wrestling and jiu-jitsu skills I was taught by Eric and Santino, respectively,” Jung said. “But even if my fight went on for the whole 25 minutes, the results would not have changed. I was especially stunned at Eddie’s game plan.
“I faced Frankie for less than a minute. Frankie moved and responded in the exact same manner Eddie had predicted, and I had listened. It’s really difficult to put these into words, but you’ll be able to see it on my YouTube channel soon.”
After his recent win at UFC on ESPN+ 21, Jung took to the microphone to call out recently crowned UFC champion Volkanovski (21-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC).
Jung didn’t reveal if he’s going to be next in line or if he’ll have to fight once more. However, he indicated he’s confident once he gets there, he’ll be even more improved and game-plan savvy.
“For each and every fight, I’m improving,” Jung said. “And if I were to prepare to fight against Volkanovski, I will again improve. The two fights that I actually had a game plan, Renato Moicano and Frankie Edgar, were finished in the first round. That fact isn’t going to change just because I’m facing a champion. To add on, I’ve had more experience as the main event than he did.”
Why 'Korean Zombie' thinks he can dethrone UFC champ Alexander Volkanovski
