Morning Report: Korean Zombie realized mid-Max Holloway fight his chin and durability 'isn't there anymore'

04/09/2023 13:00

"The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung won't be sticking around beyond his expiration date.

One of MMA's most beloved and entertaining fighters of all time called it a career two weekends ago in Singapore. Jung, 36, headlined the UFC's return to the country where he squared off with the former champion Max Holloway in a dream fight for one of Korea's finest.

The Holloway bout was Jung's first since his second career UFC title tilt, challenging featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski in April 2022. "Zombie" came up short via a hard-to-watch fourth-round TKO as he was saved from further damage by referee Herb Dean. The loss and time away had many within the community speculating whether or not Holloway would be Jung's last fight. It wasn't until the very end that the Pohang native knew the answer.

"Before this fight happened, I always thought to myself, 'My last fight is going to be in Korea.' I never thought I would change my mind on that," Jung said on his YouTube channel. "These days, I'm trying my best to do honest in my interviews. I was honest after the fight against Volkanovski, saying what I felt at the moment right after the fight.

"The funny this is, after this fight, I remember every single second of this fight. Every moment I was knocked down. When I was knocked down for the first time during the second round, I remember thinking, 'What did I get hit by?' During the third when the fight was over, I quickly came back but the ref stopped the fight. So, I remember thinking, 'The fight's over.'

"At that moment when Max was helping me up, that is when I clearly realized that it was time for me to go," he continued. "As far as MMA technique goes, I don't think I have a problem. I believe my physical abilities are better than ever. But when I look back at the fight, the punches I took aren't supposed to knock me down or wobble me. But I got wobbled during the first, knocked down during the second, and was hit with precision in the third."

Holloway defeated Jung via third-round knockout after a ferocious 23-second flurry to kick off — and end — the middle frame. Despite the additional two main event rounds that loomed, Jung knew he needed to regain some momentum after nearly getting finished in the previous round.

"Zombie" expected Holloway to make a mistake if he was attacked with such pressure. Ultimately, he felt he may have gone too hard with his attack but his realizations beforehand left him with no choice.

"Having these thoughts mid-fight, I thought 'My chin isn't there anymore. My durability isn't there anymore,'" Jung said. "I actually talked to Dustin [Poirier] the other day, I felt that my chin is not the same with the 23-year-old me when I fought Dustin in the past. Being constantly wobbled and knocked down — I mean, even with top-notch technique it's impossible to not get hit at all in MMA. That's when I decided it was for me to go."

After a 16-year run in the sport, Jung retires with a thrilling 17-8 record (7-5 in UFC) that saw him compete exclusively in main events after his first two UFC bouts. It was always kill or be killed with the featherweight staple. To say he lived up to his nickname would be putting it mildly.

"Frankly speaking, I think I could have done better," Jung said of the final sequence vs. Holloway. "But I don't regret doing it. It was a good fight. I went out like a zombie."

TOP STORIES

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Onward.Ciryl Gane responds to Tom Aspinall's callout, discusses next step after UFC Paris win

Victory.Logan Paul admits Dillon Danis is 'top tier trolling' ahead of fight: 'The guy is f****** so good at Twitter'

Confidence.Manon Fiorot open to 'easy fight' with Erin Blanchfield for No. 1 contender spot

Temptation.Paul Felder confirms he's back in USADA pool, but 'I have no idea' if there will be one more fight

VIDEO STEW

UFC Paris Post Show.

UFC 293 Countdown.

Full fights.

Invicta Powerhouse Playback.

Adesanya's UFC 293 Fight Camp.

The War Room: Adesanya vs. Strickland.

Arnold on Adesanya vs. Strickland.

Body work from Paris.

Spin it.

Leg kick challenge.

MORNING MUSIC

SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Rematch.

Disconnected.

Champ.

Step it up.

Unforgettable atmosphere.

Damn.

Story time.

Compliments.

Ouch.

When in Sydney.

Roasted.

Very totally completely super not good and ultra bad in every way.

In the gym.

Recovery.

It continues.

Brothers.

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rukiya Anpo (0-0, 19-5-1 in KB) vs. Sho Patrick Usami (6-2); RIZIN 44, Sept. 24

Naoki Inoue (16-4) vs. Shinobu Ota (4-2); RIZIN Landmark 6, Oct. 1

Philipe Lins (17-5) vs. Ion Cutelaba (17-9-1, 1 NC); UFC Vegas 80, Oct. 7.

Eduarda Moura (9-0) vs. So Yul Kim (8-1); UFC Sao Paulo, Nov. 4

FINAL THOUGHTS

It's very rare to find fighters like Jung who are simply impossible not to like. Just a one of a one-of-a-kind individual.

Thanks for reading!

POLL POSITION

Last Week's Results:

Friday: 74% of 455 total votes answered "Tom Aspinall" when asked, "Which potential Jon Jones matchup would sell better?"

Thursday: 35% of 570 total votes answered "Top 10" when asked, "Where do you rank Sean O'Malley as a star amongst active fighters in MMA?"

Wednesday: 41% of 559 total votes answered "Ciryl Gane and Rose Namajunas" when asked, "Who wins this weekend?" Gane defeated Serghei Spivac via a second-round TKO (punches) in the UFC Paris main event while Manon Fiorot defeated Namajunas via a unanimous decision in the co-main event.

Tuesday: 73% of 523 total votes answered "No" when asked, "Will Francis Ngannou score a knockdown against Tyson Fury?"

Monday: 64% of 368 total votes answered "Ryan Spann" when asked, "Who did you score the UFC Singapore co-main event in favor of?" Anthony Smith defeated Spann via split decision in their rematch two weekends ago.

Today's exit poll:

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