Holloway returns to the cage following his unanimous decision win against Arnold Allen in April. He’ll face Chan Sung Jung, The Korean Zombie, who returns following his fourth-round knockout loss to featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.

For those eager to watch this exciting matchup and all others this weekend, make sure to tune into UFC Fight Night 225, set to broadcast on ESPN+ at a special time in the United States. The main card begins at 8 a.m. ET with prelims getting started at 5 a.m. ET on Saturday morning.

How to bet: Sign up to BetUS and cash in our special sign-up offer of up to $2,500.

Betting Odds

Max Holloway is a heavy favorite ahead of this weekend’s main event in Singapore.

• Max Holloway: -740 (BetUS)
• Chan Sung Jung: +490 (BetUS)

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Staff Predictions

Braeden Arbour

This is a great fight against two very experienced fighters. The Korean Zombie (Chan Sung Jung) for a long time built a reputation as a brawler in a lot of fans’ eyes, hence the name. However, it is clear that although he can brawl he does not have to, he has some of the most accurate and technical boxing skills as well as a very educated jiu jitsu game. Zombie tends to do his best work when he is boxing with counter combinations, he is very good at slipping to counter uppercuts and hooks, and then chaining on shots, or using the same dip to initiate a takedown. Compared to many of his opponents, Zombie does not hold much of a speed advantage and this is the same against Holloway, what he does have is timing and three inches of reach. However, where he most often finds confidence in his ability to take a shot or lose ground in output in order to find that one sweet KO sequence, this trade becomes null if he cannot hurt his opponents, and instead ends up taking unnecessary damage.

Max Holloway so far has shown maybe the best chin in UFC history. It’s never a good idea to bet all your chips on chin and durability, but if anyone can wade through some of that danger from Zombie it is Holloway. What Holloway has in abundance is cardio, rhythm and output. He will be at a power disadvantage but his ability to switch stance and use in and out movement to land and evade is the perfect recipe to beat the Zombie. He utilizes a better kicking game, and even though giving up reach, has the height advantage allowing him to slip back from counter shots after landing.

Of the two men, The Korean Zombie is the more proficient jiu-jitsu player. He has shown a wider variety of submission offense, as well as good control, most recently against Holloway’s fellow Hawaiian, Dan Ige, before his title shot last year. Holloway has improved wrestling, but what sticks out are his trips and guillotine choke. Holloway has 84% takedown defense to Zombie’s 47% takedown accuracy, meaning it will be a tough go for Zombie to initiate a grappling exchange if it comes down to it, and the initial threat of the guillotine adds to that risk. Overall I do think that Holloway can avoid the grappling of The Korean Zombie, and use superior movement, speed and establish his rhythm in the striking. This all makes for the most difficult kind of fighter to consistently counter punch, which is The Korean Zombie’s main and potentially only route to victory. I think Holloway will be able to use kicks to stay outside when he wants and float in and out to box, and ultimately accumulate damage on Zombie.

Pick: Max Holloway to win (-740 at BetUS)

Michael Pounders

Come Saturday night, now 31, Max “Blessed” Holloway will grace the caged canvas for the 28th time in the UFC. He is arguably the best fighter who isn’t a champion in the entire promotion as evident by his #13 pound-for-pound ranking.

Holloway holds records for most significant strikes landed in his career, coming in with 3,122. For context, second and third place are at 1820 and 1801 respectively. Holloway also holds the record for most significant strikes landed in a single fight with 578, with second place coming in with 430. Possibly more impressive, though, is that Max ranks 1, 3, 5, and 6 on that list. Those statistics are shared in part to give one of the best fighters of this generation his well-deserved flowers but also to illustrate just how special of a fighter Holloway is.

“Blessed” is undoubtedly the best boxer in the UFC with the hand speed, volume, precision, dynamism, and toughness that accumulate to create such a fighter. Most of Holloway’s fights go the same way. From the first to the last second, Max takes the center of the octagon and rarely moves backward, instead he will stubbornly hold his ground or walk forward while unleashing unmatched volume with a variety of endless combinations.

As the fight progresses, Holloway only improves. His volume increases, his power accumulates, and his determination to win amplifies. He has one of the best cardio tanks in the UFC and knows how to weaponize that cardio along with his pressure. Beyond his pressure, cardio, and striking, the final hallmark of Holloway is his Hawaiian spirit and subsequent durability. With the likes of Dober, Luque, and Ferguson going away,

Holloway sits atop the mountain as likely the most durable fighter on the roster. Just another of his many accomplishments. Holloway has only been finished once- submitted by Poirier in 2012- despite absorbing punishment from the division’s elite for years. If there is a gap in the storied career and game of “Blessed” it is his inability or refusal to check leg kicks. Because he stands with such a wide and traditional boxing stance, Holloway carries much of his weight on his front foot which makes him more susceptible to the calf kick. But, that Hawaiian spirit yet again shines through because while Max has been hurt via leg kicks, he has always pushed through the pain and come out stronger on the other side.

A warrior worthy of sharing the octagon with Holloway, “The Korean Zombie,” Chan Sung Jung, now 36, steps in for possibly the last time in the UFC. There have not been any substantial rumors suggesting that Zombie will retire after this fight; but, given his age, severe unlikelihood of another title shot, and the wars he’s been a part of, a retirement would not surprise many.

Just like Holloway, Jung’s hallmark and the origin of his nickname is his durability and willingness to continue fighting no matter the fire coming back his way. He will, sometimes to his own detriment, walk forward like a zombie through hell in a gasoline suit to try and land his own combinations. That determination and durability not only earned him the Korean Zombie nickname but propelled him to the top of one of the best divisions in MMA.

Each time he steps into the cage, Jung’s opponent better be ready for war. Jung will pressure forward, throwing heavy and frequent combinations intended to do damage with each blow. He can push a high pace for 5 championship rounds and continue to do damage from the first to the last minute of a fight. His striking is technical, powerful, and highly successful when offensive.

But, his defensive striking, skewed because of his willingness to eat shots to move forward, leaves a lot to be desired. Jung tends to plod forward, moving linearly and rarely cutting angles, with minimal head movement. His goal is not primarily to protect himself; but, rather, get into a position where he can hurt his opponent regardless of the strikes coming back his way. His chin and toughness, both may be starting to fade with age, have allowed him to fight with this style to great success.

The other, often-forgotten aspect of Zombie’s game, that elevated his standing in the UFC is his grappling. While Jung’s wrestling is infrequent and only partially successful, his grappling, scrambling, and submission game are often underappreciated attributes. If he hurts and opponent, something he’s done in most of his fights, Jung is fully capable of following his opponent down and finding a submission on the mat. While Jung hasn’t won via submission since 2012, the skillset helps open up opportunities for victories.

Holloway is a -800 for a reason, he is simply better than Zombie everywhere. Both men are insanely durable, have cardio for days, are high level strikers, and have enough high level experience for two careers. However, in each of those categories, Holloway is better. Holloway has never been knocked out, while Jung was TKO’d in his last fight and has been finished by strikes 4 times. While Jung can push a high-octane pace for 5 rounds, Max has nearly every output record on the books.

While Jung has a striking resume worthy of admiration, Holloway is the best boxer on the roster. And while Jung has been in there with the division’s best, Holloway is one of the division’s best. In short, Holloway will win this fight. The question becomes, how to bet it. My favorite bet on the card is a multi-unit parlay of Max and Chikadze. However, as a straight play, I like Holloway by decision.

I think we’ll see a fight similar to Holloway v Kattar so a stoppage is likely going to be determined by the ref’s subjective perspective. I think Holloway will hurt Zombie enough to warrant a stoppage, but I also expect Jung’s durability to be on full display and for him to continue fighting regardless. Therefore, because I expect a finish vs. decision to be around 50/50, I want plus-money on the prop play. That lands me on Holloway by decision.

Best Bet: Holloway to win by decision (+165 at BetUS)

The post Max Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie predictions | UFC Singapore appeared first on The Body Lock.

Ige (#8) knocked out Gavin Tucker in just 22 seconds at UFC Fight Night 187 in March and now gets his shot at a higher-ranked opponent in the featherweight division. He’ll face The Korean ZOmbie on June 19 at a location and venue yet to be announced.

‘The Korean Zombie’ will get his chance to bounce back following a one-sided beatdown at the hands of Brian Ortega in October last year. Chan Sung Jung wasn’t far from a title shot in the featherweight division at the time.

In this video, Patrick Auger and Drake Riggs react to the Korean Zombie vs. Dan Ige fight announcement. Auger and Riggs comment that this booking is a little “odd” but it’s hard not to be excited for what should be an exciting scrap.

Thanks for watching! Make sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

The post ‘Korean Zombie’ vs. Dan Ige set for UFC Fight Night main event appeared first on The Body Lock.

Featherweight contenders Brian Ortega and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung are scheduled to meet in the main event of the evening.

In the co-main event, Jessica Andrade will face Katlyn Chookagian in a women’s flyweight bout.

Stay tuned for live UFC Fight Island results and highlights.

UFC Fight Island 6

Main Card

• Brian Ortega def. Chan Sung Jung via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
• Jessica Andrade def. Katlyn Chookagian via KO/TKO – R1, 4:55
• Jimmy Crute def. Modestas Bukauskas via KO/TKO (punches) – R1, 2:01
• James Krause def. Claudio Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Jonathan Martinez def. Thomas Almeida via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Preliminary Card

• Guram Kutateladze def. Mateusz Gamrot via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
• Gillian Robertson def. Poliana Botelho via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)
• Jun Yong Park def. John Phillips via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-25)
• Fares Ziam def. Jamie Mullarkey via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Maxim Grishin def. Gadzhimurad Antigulov via KO/TKO (punches) – R2, 4:58
• Said Nurmagomedov def. Mark Striegl via KO/TKO (strikes) – R1, 0:51

UFC Fight Island Highlights

RALLYING PUNCHES.

Maxim Grishin with a late shower of shots to close the fight.

[ Watch now on #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/VohRoBUvO6

— UFC (@ufc) October 17, 2020

CLOCKED IN. CLOCKED OUT.

Said Nurmagomedov needs seconds to finish the job.

[ Tune in on #ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/1GqPj6IAo9

— UFC (@ufc) October 17, 2020

The post UFC Fight Night Results: Brian Ortega vs. Korean Zombie appeared first on The Body Lock.

A powerful flurry of punches led to referee Marc Goddard stepping in to save Frankie Edgar from further punishment at 3:18 of the first round.

HE HAS FRANKIE WOBBLED! #UFCBusan pic.twitter.com/lgWxQCd53o

— UFC (@ufc) December 21, 2019

Before the fight, “The Korean Zombie” was calm and composed, drawing energy from the vocal South Korean supporters at Sajik Arena. The former lightweight champion standing across from him was the opposite; Edgar was jumpy, eager, and ready to charge forward.

That may have been the downfall for Edgar in this short-notice main event bout.

After coming forward to close the distance early in the fight, Edgar was clipped by a short left hook and was sent stumbling across the cage. Jung stuffed the immediate takedown attempt from Edgar and was now in complete control of the fight.

The South Korean fighter advanced and landed another series of strong blows to the head. Edgar fell to the mat, allowing Jung to go after the finish by raining down countless strikes to Edgar’s head. Unable to earn the stoppage victory, Jung settled for Edgar’s back.

Jung flattened Edgar out and crushed him with more strikes to the side of the head. Edgar slowly returned to his feet but the punishment would only continue. Jung tagged Edgar with another strong combination of punches to the head. It was deemed too much this time, though, with the technical knockout victory awarded with plenty of time to spare in the second round.

THE HOMECOMING ?‍ #UFCBusan pic.twitter.com/kb7O9jtXBe

— UFC (@ufc) December 21, 2019

“Last time I was told that my fight was just luck,” Jung said through a translator in his post-fight interview. “But no, not this time. I won this fight.”

The exciting featherweight fighter then announced his intentions to fight for the featherweight title by stating three words that needed no translation:

“I want Volkanovski.”

The post UFC Busan Results: The Korean Zombie destroys Frankie Edgar, calls for Alexander Volkanovski appeared first on The Body Lock.

Should he earn a fourth title defense, “Blessed” will have no shortage of contenders lining up to face him next. One of them could be Zabit Magomedsharipov who most recently outpointed Calvin Kattar in the UFC Moscow headliner last month.

One person who kept a close eye on that fight was #12 featherweight contender Shane Burgos, with his only career loss coming to Kattar.

“It was a good fight,” Burgos said on a recent episode of the TSN MMA Show. “First round was really competitive. Back-and-forth. I think Zabit did a little bit more in that first round so he gets the first round. I gave the second round to him for the takedown. Third round was all Kattar. I really do wish it was a five-round fight.”

Magomedsharipov stated after the fight that he felt he was deserving of challenging for the featherweight title next.

However, Burgos isn’t completely convinced. He believes the upcoming UFC Busan headliner between Brian Ortega and the Korean Zombie on December 21 will ultimately decide things.

“I mean, it depends on how the Zombie fight goes,” Burgos added. “I think if Zombie beats Ortega, they’ll probably do Zombie vs. Holloway.

“And if they do that, I think they’ll do Yair [Rodriguez] vs. Zabit which is the fight that was supposed to happen, a fight that everybody wants to see anyway. Let’s say Ortega wins and Holloway wins — you got Yair and Zabit and it’s not clear-cut. I don’t know, it’s hard to say.”

In an interview with The Body Lock last month, Burgos also stated he felt the Korean Zombie had the style to cause Holloway some problems.

That said, “Hurricane” still expects to see Holloway and Magomedsharipov collide eventually, especially if it comes down to just the latter and Rodriguez.

“It’ll happen,” he concluded. “If Holloway wins this fight and Ortega wins, I do think they will fight.”

The post Shane Burgos believes next featherweight title challenger depends on Brian Ortega vs. Korean Zombie result appeared first on The Body Lock.

At this moment, only two ranked fighters are booked (in a very important matchup, might I add). Max Holloway will put his belt on the line against #4 ranked Frankie Edgar at UFC 240 on Saturday, July 27.

This fight is obviously pivotal to the future of the division — any title fight is. But no matter who emerges victorious, he will have a horde of hungry contenders breathing down his neck. The question remains, who stands out from the pack?

To find out the answer, the UFC needs to pit the best against the best.

Region-locked fighters

If there’s anyone who shouldn’t take a fight until the title is on the line, it’s Alexander Volkanovski. Volkanovski established himself as the #1 contender by defeating Jose Aldo by unanimous decision at UFC 237. He was passed over for a shot at Holloway’s belt in favor of the third booking of Holloway vs. Edgar, but Volkanovski is undoubtedly the most deserving contender.

The further down the UFC rankings you go, the trickier things get.

Brian Ortega, Chan Sung Jung, and Yair Rodriguez are three fighters in the top ten who are all but locked into a spot on UFC Fight Night cards.

Dana White has confirmed that both Ortega and Rodriguez are expected to fight at UFC Mexico City on September 21, but he has not said that they will fight each other. The UFC is hoping to build these two fighters in an attempt to expand further into the Mexican market — a process hung up by former heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez’s fall from grace — but that means the matchmakers need to find two more featherweights to make it happen.

Jung has asked for the Ortega fight on numerous occasions, but the timing of the fight puts the UFC in a difficult spot. Still, the promotion is entertaining the fight according to Chris Taylor of BJPenn.com.

Jung would have to emerge from the bout with Ortega relatively unscathed in order to headline the UFC’s card in South Korea that he campaigned for. UFC Busan takes place exactly three months after UFC Mexico City.

It would be disastrous for the promotion’s growth in Korea if “The Korean Zombie” wasn’t able to headline the card. With fellow fan-favorite Dong Hyun Kim also unlikely to return, the UFC would have a rough time earning the support of the Korean fans.

Online response to The Korean Zombie possibly not being on the #UFCKorea card this December is not good. Fans are very open about not buying a ticket. If he fights Ortega on September 21 many are very skeptical even if he says he wants to fight in Korea https://t.co/BG84ofBveU

— Hyon Ko (@KoreanJohn_) July 18, 2019

Other regional candidates

Then there’s Aldo, Zabit Magomedsharipov, and Renato Moicano. These three top-10 featherweights are not quite locked down to one card, but they and the UFC likely have a preference.

The event in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on November 16 is a good landing spot for Aldo. He has previously expressed interest in competing exclusively in Brazil, and the fans love him like no other, so Aldo can certainly headline the card as long as the UFC finds a willing opponent.

Sao Paulo could also work for Moicano, provided he is planning on returning to the Octagon before the end of the year. Moicano has yet to get in the win column in 2019, suffering losses to Aldo in February and Jung in June, both of which by TKO.

Moicano played the villain in his home country the last time he fought there, so a warmer homecoming against a lower/unranked opponent would be the UFC’s way of saying “sorry.”

Two options stick out for Magomedsharipov. The fifth-ranked featherweight will likely wind up on UFC Moscow on November 9 as a headliner or on the main card of UFC 242 on September 7.

Magomedsharipov’s last three fights have taken place on pay-per-view cards. The promotion is pushing the Dagestani toward international stardom, so being on the same card as Khabib Nurmagomedov’s title unification bout against Dustin Poirier helps that cause.

At the same time, the two Russians being on UFC 242 together means neither are likely to make the quick turnaround to fight in Moscow two months later, leaving the event lacking a local name with enough drawing power to headline.

Further down the list

All of the upcoming international cards make it difficult to put together the matchups fighters want. There are so many fighters who need just one win to get into title contention, but many of them are committed to fighting in certain countries.

In the interest of pleasing the fans outside of the United States, it makes sense to have at least one fighter from the area on each international event. That leaves #8 ranked Jeremy Stephens and #9 ranked Josh Emmett as the two American fighters who are likely to hit the road for their next fight.

In the 11-15 range, there’s Calvin Kattar, Arnold Allen, Shane Burgos, Ryan Hall, and Mirsad Bektic.

Bektic just suffered a brutal loss at the hands of Emmett at UFC Sacramento on July 13, and he typically only fights once or twice per year as is, so it’s safe to count him out for the rest of 2019.

Hall also competed on that Sacramento card, and he asked for a spot on Washington D.C.’s card in his post-fight speech. That event takes place on December 7. Though he’s currently ranked #14 at 145 pounds, his next opponent may come from outside of the rankings, especially if he wants a spot on the D.C. event.

Burgos is due for a fight. He last competed on May 4, picking up a win over Cub Swanson. The 28-year-old is 12-1 (5-1 in the UFC), and a prime candidate for one of the higher-ranked featherweights who must defend his spot in the rankings.

Allen remains undefeated as a UFC fighter with his last win coming at UFC 239 over Gilbert Melendez. It might be early for the 25-year-old to get a big test, but in a division filled with sharks, he’ll have to take on a hefty task soon to justify his #12 spot.

Finally, there’s Kattar sitting just outside the top 10. He called for a fight on the Boston card on October 18 and has gone back and forth with Stephens, but in his climb toward a championship, he might have to bypass the hometown fight for a bigger opponent outside of the country.

Who fights who?

Below, I have provided an idea of big fights we could see in the featherweight division before the year’s end. Reminder: these are hypothetical matchups.

• #2 Brian Ortega vs. #6 Chan Sung Jung at UFC Mexico City on September 21
• #8 Jeremy Stephens vs. #11 Calvin Kattar at UFC Boston on October 18
• #5 Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. #7 Yair Rodriguez at UFC Moscow on November 9
• #3 Jose Aldo vs. #9 Josh Emmett at UFC Sao Paulo on November 16

If this situation were to play out: Mexico still gets a big fight in Ortega vs. Jung; Moscow gets a highly anticipated bout between Magomedsharipov and Rodriguez; Aldo fights at home for the third time in 2019 against a rising contender in Emmett; Calvin Kattar gets his wish for a Boston bout and a chance to crack the top-10.

Some problems these bookings pose are: Jung runs the risk of not headlining UFC Busan; Rodriguez loses out on a fight in his home country.

If the UFC wants to play it safe with Korea while still giving the fans an excellent show in Mexico, the fights could look more like this:

• #2 Brian Ortega vs. #7 Yair Rodriguez at UFC Mexico City on September 21
• #5 Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. #13 Shane Burgos at UFC Moscow on November 9
• #3 Jose Aldo vs. #9 Josh Emmett at UFC Sao Paulo on November 16
• #6 Chan Sung Jung vs. #8 Jeremy Stephens at UFC Busan on December 21

In this scenario, the positives for the UFC are: Ortega and Rodriguez both appear in Mexico as planned; Magomedsharipov headlines UFC Moscow; Jung doesn’t have to make a quick turnaround.

Some of the negatives include: Ortega and Rodriguez fight one another; Magomedsharipov gets a lower-ranked opponent; Jung gets a lower-ranked opponent and loses out on the Ortega fight he wants so badly.

In the ultimate goal of creating quality matchups and separating the great featherweights from the elite, the UFC really can’t mess anything up. But trying to please every fighter and every fanbase? Well, chances are someone is going to wind up disappointed.

The post Sorting out the bulk of the featherweight division before UFC 240 appeared first on The Body Lock.

Aljamain Sterling, Corey Anderson, and Brad Tavares were just a few of the UFC fighters congratulating Jung for his stunning one-minute finish of Moicano. Another man who congratulated Jung was perennial divisional stalwart Jeremy Stephens, who tweeted that he wanted to fight the South Korean contender next.

In an interview with Lee Gyo-Dok of SpoTV translated by The Body Lock, Jung stated that he has no desire to fight Stephens, and instead only wants to fight those who will move him closer to a shot at current featherweight champion Max Holloway’s title. Given that Stephens is currently ranked #7, he fails to meet Jung’s criteria for future opponents.

“I do not really care [about Stephens’ call-out]. I want an opponent that will get me closer to the title. Sean Shelby agrees with me. I just took out Moicano, who is ranked #5, in that fashion so there is no reason for me to go backwards in the rankings if I want the title,” said Jung.

One man who fits that criterium is Jung’s former foe, once-UFC champion Jose Aldo, who, following his loss against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 237, currently sits at #3 in the 145-pound division.

“The Korean Zombie” and Aldo had previously fought at UFC 163 in Brazil, where then-champion Aldo was victorious. Jung left the UFC after the bout the complete two years of mandatory military service in his native South Korea, and now feels that the time is right for a rematch; he’s even happy for the bout to take place in Brazil, and given that Aldo seems unlikely to fight outside his native country again, it seems likely Brazil would be the bout’s potential setting.

“I also talked to Shelby about [the rematch]. Aldo is not fighting outside of Brazil and only wants to fight three-rounders so I do not know, but I have no problem going to Brazil and rematch Aldo there.”

Practice makes perfect for Chan Sung Jung

Jung entered his bout with Moicano as a slight underdog, with many expecting the rangy Brazilian to pick apart the Korean and outclass him from distance, as he has in previous bouts against Calvin Kattar and Jeremy Stephens.

Indeed, throughout his camp, Jung prepared for a distance striker. So when the first round began and Moicano met the Korean head-on, Jung was particularly surprised.

“I did not think Moicano was going to fight me from close distance. I thought he would wait until the third round with that strategy because that is what he has done in previous fights. Fighting from distance with a lot of kicks is what I expected. I was planning on fighting for five rounds.”

“The Korean Zombie” opened up aggressively, attacking Moicano’s lead leg and feinting with the jab constantly. While Jung had prepared to be aggressive, he was not expecting to start that way. Instead, he thought Moicano would tire later on, and only then would he become more susceptible to the type of pressure and aggression Jung has become known for.

“Originally, I was prepared to use that strategy when Moicano got tired, but he did not retreat from the start. He did not run away, so I went in with aggression.”

Just thirty seconds into the bout, Jung landed a perfect overhand right, left hook combination that sent Moicano to the canvas. While the Brazilian managed to survive the initial onslaught, Jung took his back, flattened Moicano out, and delivered ground-and-pound until the referee was forced to step in.

The Korean explained that it was a combination he had practiced many times, and his preparation gave him immense confidence, allowing him to execute perfectly when it mattered most.

“I was so confident in my skills. I won with a combination that I practiced so much… there is footage of it in my training. I filmed all my sparring sessions. It will be edited and uploaded soon,” promised Jung.

Headlining at home and title aspirations

When fighters sign with the UFC, most dream of two things – winning a title, and headlining an event in their home country, wherever that may be.

While the UFC has only ventured to South Korea once, Chan Sung Jung still spoke to Dana White after his UFC Greenville victory about the idea of a return to the Asian country. Even though “The Korean Zombie” was unable to guarantee whether or not he would be headlining the event, Jung did confirm that the promotion would absolutely be returning in the near future, continuing its recent expansion into Asia.

“I could not talk with [Dana White] for too long because of a poor connection. He said the UFC is going back to Korea. 100% guaranteed… I cannot give a definitive answer at this moment [if I’ll be headlining or not],” revealed Jung.

Jung conceded that he probably would not be fighting for a title next, given the ever-increasing number of contenders at 145-pounds, as well as Alexander Volkanovski’s watertight case for the next shot. However, he did suggest that he is close; another emphatic win and Max Holloway’s belt may be within his grasp.

“[My next fight] may be a title fight, I cannot say for sure. There is a possibility of fighting one more time before getting a title shot.”

Coaching changes for “The Korean Zombie”

After his devastating, last-second loss to Yair Rodriguez at UFC Denver, Jung determined that changes in his preparation were necessary.

During his camp for UFC Greenville, he introduced striking coach Eddie Cha into his camp, and he gives Cha, who primarily works at the MMA Lab, a significant amount of credit for his performance. In addition, Jung trained in the U.S. for the last month of his camp, another change he feels was hugely beneficial.

“There is no doubt the effects were very positive. I worked a lot with Eddie Cha, and he was very helpful. I need to have Eddie with me for every fight. If I do fight in Korea, I will be inviting him over to help me prepare for my opponent. The way he thinks is different from other coaches. No disrespect to coaches in Korea.”

Whatever is next for “The Korean Zombie”, it’s safe to say that it will be a barnburner of a fight.

The post “Korean Zombie” wants Jose Aldo in Brazil; brushes off Jeremy Stephens appeared first on The Body Lock.

Both Renato Moicano and Chan Sung Jung weighed in at 146 pounds, and given that neither has missed weight before, the fact that they both made weight will be of little surprise to anyone.

Following the news of John Lineker’s withdrawal from his co-main event rematch with Rob Font, neither fighter weighed-in while Bryan Barberena and Randy Brown, who may well take up the now vacant co-main event slot, weighed in at 170 and 170.5 pounds respectively for their welterweight clash.

Other notable fighters include American Kickboxing Academy teammates Deron Winn and Luis Pena, who weighed in at 185.5 and 155.5 pounds for their middleweight and lightweight bouts. Winn has previously fought at light heavyweight but seemed to have no difficulty making a lower weight while Pena, who missed weight in his last fight at featherweight, also had no trouble making weight.

Allen Crowder and Jairzinho Rozenstruik both also comfortably made weight for the only heavyweight bout on the card. ‘Pretty Boy’ and ‘Bigi Boy’ weighed in at 255 and 246 pounds and will each be looking to continue their undefeated 2019’s.

Dan Ige and Kevin Aguilar, the other featherweight fighters on the card, also hit the mark and will be hoping that a win may move them one step closer to entering the top 15 of the 145-pound division.

UFC Greenville takes place at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in South Carolina this Saturday on June 22. The ESPN 2 prelims begin at 4 pm ET and the main card, shown on ESPN+, will begin at 7 pm ET.

UFC Greenville Weigh-in Results

Main Card (ESPN+)

• Renato Moicano (146) vs. The Korean Zombie (146)
• Bryan Barberena (170) vs. Randy Brown (170.5)
• Andrea Lee (125) vs. Montana De La Rosa (126)
• Kevin Holland (186) vs. Alessio Di Chirico (186)

Preliminary Card (ESPN2)

• Dan Ige (146) vs. Kevin Aguilar (145.5)
• Ashley Yoder (115.5) vs. Syuri Kondo (115.5)
• Matt Wiman (155) vs. Luis Pena (155.5)
• Allen Crowder (255) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (246)
• Ariane Lipski (126) vs. Molly McCann (126)
• Deron Winn (185.5) vs. Eric Spicely (185.5)
• Andre Ewell (135) vs. Anderson Dos Santos (135.5)

The post UFC Greenville Weigh-in Results: Renato Moicano and ‘The Korean Zombie’ make weight appeared first on The Body Lock.

While Moicano’s situation is fairly routine for a top fighter off a loss, Jung’s position in South Carolina is more bizarre; despite a knockout loss to action-fighter Yair Rodriguez in November, “The Korean Zombie” gets a step up to face a true contender. Given the nature of that fight (Jung winning most of the rounds before getting finished in the final second), perhaps the matchmakers have decided to treat “TKZ” as if he’d made it that final second, or perhaps this is just an expression of gratitude for taking Rodriguez on short notice when he was originally slated to face Frankie Edgar; regardless, a win is the best of Jung’s career.

Moicano

A somewhat interesting prospect at a division full of them, Renato Carneiro’s first crack at the top 10 was a unique one; undefeated but without a particularly good opponent on his record, the Brazilian got a crack at no.5 Jeremy Stephens off Stephens’ loss to the great Frankie Edgar, and it had all the makings of an intended tune-up for the veteran. Instead, UFC on Fox 24’s main-card opener became the first of a three-fight series that proved Moicano a purist’s dream; while he largely didn’t bring the moment-to-moment knockout power that would have gotten him early attention, Moicano’s technical depth combined with his discipline and adaptiveness came together to create a top-5 featherweight with a real chance to fight for a belt.

As a striker, Moicano is strongest as an outside kicker, most often directed at his opponent’s legs; with Jose Aldo’s transformation into a boxer in his later days, Moicano has a strong case to having the best kicking offense in the division. Against Stephens, it was mostly the inside leg kick: as Stephens pushed forward, the kick would break his stance and buy time for Moicano to circle away (or enter the pocket at an advantage, as he did to land the first decent punch of the fight). Against Calvin Kattar, his kicking was implemented far more aggressively; Moicano would wait on the jab of the boxer to counter with the leg kick, and as Kattar’s edge in the pocket waned, Moicano would push forward with combinations just to kick Kattar’s leg out on the exit.

Also read: John Lineker vs. Rob Font breakdown

Moicano is also a fairly strong boxer for the weight class, and his boxing works both in isolation (to an extent) and as a way to set his kicks up. The strongest aspect of that is his jab; Moicano possesses a varied and versatile lead hand, and the jab is used extremely well. Against Stephens, Moicano used the jab to intercept entries, but also to draw counters; Moicano could circle off after the jab so Stephens would keep swinging after him, but could also stay in the pocket and counter the counter (for example, proactively dipping off his own jab to avoid Stephens’ counter and land a clean overhand). Against Swanson, the jab was used as a power-shot to get the knockdown, where against Kattar, the jab was used more to keep Kattar reactive (where Kattar’s best leveraging his own jab) and set up his own kicking game with his feints. Moicano is reasonably strong on the counter, which is mostly how he fought Ortega; while he ultimately lost that fight, Moicano’s check hook found the mark as Ortega entered and he was able to land counter combinations (often ending in kicks to the body) as Ortega threw to his head.

Moicano has shown to be fairly strong offensively in the pocket, especially when it happens on his own terms, but he’s defensively not great if his opponent can close him down. For his part, Moicano does a very good job keeping that from being relevant most of the time; Moicano is laterally very active and has a good pivot to get out of tight spots, and his counters are generally strong enough to keep an opponent from entering recklessly. However, when Stephens was able to push him back on occasion and he didn’t have the space to get out, Moicano defaulted to a high-guard until the flurry was over (and eventually Stephens tried to draw the guard and hit the body, it was just too little too late), and that tendency made the body-work of Ortega the most consequential of the fight. Despite his few flaws, Moicano is a fundamentally well-constructed and intelligent fighter; even in a fight that isn’t stylistically favorable on its face, Moicano can be trusted to approach it well and get some work done.

The Korean Zombie

Chan Sung Jung has consistently shown to be one of the more entertaining fighters at 145, which makes his activity issues even more disappointing; between injuries and mandatory military service, “Korean Zombie” has fought just twice since his 2013 loss to Jose Aldo. With the explosion of talent during his time off (including the rise of the champion Max Holloway and his opponent Renato Moicano), Jung’s position among the division isn’t clear; he had fine performances against fine fighters in Bermudez and Rodriguez, but neither means much in terms of the title scene. A win over Moicano would be far more meaningful for Jung, as it would likely be the best win of his career and propel him back into the top-5.

Jung’s nickname is fairly apt, as the hallmark of his career in the UFC has been the sort of war where he takes some punishment but gives out more. His return against Dennis Bermudez was the almost a microcosm of that; Bermudez scored a few clean right hands as Jung’s best defense was to back off, but Jung eventually found an uppercut as Bermudez tried to dip off his jab. A longer example would be his heralded fight against Dustin Poirier; Poirier didn’t really fail to find counters, but Jung would come forward all the same, backing him up with flurries of uppercuts and straights into clinch-combinations and the odd flying knee as he hit the fence. Jung isn’t a great boxer, especially defensively, but he’s aggressive and heavy-handed, and he’s enough of a counterpunch threat that trying to back him off with strikes could go fairly badly (for example, Mark Hominick looked to crack Jung early with a left hook, only for Jung to step back and knock him out with a straight-right seconds into the fight). Jung’s strongest moments tend to come on the front foot, and while he isn’t especially noteworthy as a pressurer, he did good work in his last fight taking on that role; Jung won rounds off Yair Rodriguez essentially by just running towards him and crowding him with combinations.

Jung is also a very good grappler, which was mostly seen in the Poirier fight; not only did he bring an extremely aggressive guard to put Poirier in trouble even as he managed to get on top, he also showed a wicked D’Arce as a hurt Poirier shot to get a break. Jung isn’t the most polished threat, but he has a skillset that’s dangerous everywhere the fight goes.

Conclusions and Capping

Moicano seems a fairly bad matchup for Jung. While he isn’t strong in the pocket (defensively, at least), Moicano is extremely difficult to crowd; simply running forward runs the risk of getting check-hooked or leg-kicked on the entry (the way Kattar was, and Kattar is a more thoughtful and skilled boxer than Jung by any metric), or of Moicano just circling out. Jung probably finds the most success if he can force the exchange, but Moicano brings a good skillset to avoid that against all but the most skilled pressure-fighters. Given the jab of Moicano, it seems fairly likely that any exchanges will be on Moicano’s terms, the way they were against Stephens (off leg kicks to break stance, or jabs to draw counters, where Moicano starts with an edge).

On the outside, Moicano is well-equipped to chip away at Jung; Rodriguez had success landing naked leg kicks on Jung when he hung around the outside (where Moicano is a better and smarter kicker), and Jung is generally hittable most of the time. Unless Moicano gets too comfortable in the pocket and gets bombed, it’s unlikely he loses this one, and fairly likely that the attrition catches up to Jung late.

Prediction: Moicano via TKO5. This writer caps Moicano at -250.

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Jung was originally to face former UFC lightweight champion, Frankie ‘The Answer’ Edgar in the UFC Denver headliner. However, a torn bicep would force Edgar out of the bout replacing him the unorthodox Mexican striker, ‘El Pantera’ Yair Rodriguez.

The pair of exciting fighters would go to war until the very final second of their five-round affair. Unfortunately for Jung, in a fight that he would be winning on the judges’ scorecards… he wouldn’t make it to the bell. Rodriguez would land arguably the most spectacular strike ever thrown in MMA history at the last possible moment as Jung pressed forward. It would be a duck under elbow uppercut that closed the show in favor of Rodriguez.

Now, Jung is ready to get back in the win column as Combate’s Raphael Marinho is reporting that a bout between the South Korean superstar and Brazil’s Renato ‘Moicano’ Carneiro (13-2-1) has been verbally agreed to for UFC Greenville on June 22.

Ultimate encaminhou Renato Moicano x Zumbi Coreano para o dia 22 de junho, no UFC Greenville. Contratos ainda não estão assinados, mas há acordo verbal. Não tenho a informação ainda sobre ser luta principal. #feedmma

— Raphael Marinho (@raphamarinho) May 2, 2019

“Ultimate forwarded Renato Moicano x Zombie Korean to June 22 at UFC Greenville. Contracts are not yet signed, but there is verbal agreement. I don’t have the information yet about being a main fight. #feedmma” Marinho’s tweet read.

For Moicano, he’ll be looking to rebound off of a rough loss suffered his last time out at UFC Fortaleza when he was TKO’d in round two by featherweight legend, former two-time UFC champion, Jose Aldo.

UFC Greenville is still taking shape. The current line-up can be seen below.

• Heavyweight – 207-265lbs: Allen Crowder vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
• Middleweight – 185lbs: Bevon Lewis vs. Darren Stewart
• Strawweight – 115lbs: Ashley Yoder vs. Syuri Kondo
• Flyweight – 125lbs: Andrea Lee vs. Montana De La Rosa
• Middleweight: Markus Perez vs. Deron Winn
• Flyweight: Molly McCann vs. Ariane Lipski
• Middleweight: Alessio Di Chirico vs. Kevin Holland
• Bantamweight – 135lbs: Andre Ewell vs. Anderson Dos Santos
• Welterweight – 170lbs: Bryan Barberena vs. Randy Brown

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