Chan Sung Jung returned from his mandatory military service in Korea, with an emphatic knockout win over Dennis Bermudez. Headlining Saturday night’s UFC event, the Korean Zombie impressed even after three years away from the sport as he beat the #9 ranked featherweight in the world.
“I don’t know if anybody in the history of the fight game has come back after a 3-plus year layoff and looked as good as he did tonight,” Dana White said on Fox Sports 1.
“Dennis Bermudez is as nasty a fighter as you will ever face. He came in tonight with all the advantages, and the Zombie, he performed again. This guy is phenomenal athlete, great fighter, and man, is he a finisher.”
Related: Watch the Korean Zombie KO Bermudez in his UFC return
Ring rust seems to affect many fighters with even much shorter layoffs, but much like what Dominick Cruz did after his return from injury, being in the sidelines didn’t seem to play a huge factor for the Korean striker.
With the huge victory for the popular fighter, the UFC president says they’re now more likely to host another event in South Korea.
“He pumped some excitement into UFC Korea,” he said. “Ari (Emanuel) and I have been talking about going to Korea, so I think tonight he sealed the deal.”
Apart from Jung, the UFC also has a number of talented Korean fighters who have been part of their roster. The line up includes the two Dong Hyun Kim’s (welterweight and lightweight), Doo Ho Choi, Hyun Gyu Lim, Seo Hee Ham, Tae Hyun Bang, Dongi Yang, Kwan Ho Kwak, and even prospect Kyung Ho Kang, who will soon be returning from military service as well.
The organization also has a sizable roster of Asian fighters who are likely to be slotted in the event if it comes to fruition.
The UFC recently announced that they will have a press conference in Singapore on February 23 to talk about “the strategic direction and growth of the UFC brand in Asia Pacific”. Attending the press event will be former champion Miesha Tate, Joe Carr, UFC Head of International and Content, and Robbie Henchman, Head of WME IMG Asia Pacific.
The UFC’s last planned event in the region was UFC: Manila, which was cancelled after B.J. Penn pulled out due to injury. The promotion’s first ever event in South Korea happened in 2015, with now Bellator fighter Ben Henderson headlining the event.
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