Max Holloway knocks out ‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung in an epic UFC Fight Night battle. Read about the intense fight and Jung’s emotional decision to end his fighting career.
Max Holloway and "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung entered their UFC Fight Night main event in Singapore on Saturday with expectations they’d deliver a classic battle. That’s exactly what happened, with the two featherweights trading big shots until Holloway scored a right hand that put Jung to sleep early in the third round.
In the opening round, Jung and Holloway made it clear that fans’ dreams of a dramatic and action-packed fight would come true. Jung landed the first impactful punch of the fight, seeming to buzz Holloway a bit. As Jung tried to charge forward after the punch, he was caught cleanly by return fire from Holloway and nearly knocked to the canvas.
Holloway did score the knockdown in the second round, landing a glancing right hand that sent Jung tumbling to the canvas. Holloway followed him to the ground and locked in a deep anaconda choke but Jung lived up to his "Korean Zombie" nickname by surviving and fighting his way back to standing and even closing out the frame with some decent attacks of his own.
Jung opened the third round ready to empty the tank, charging at Holloway with punches coming from both hands. Jung was able to connect with some clean power shots as Holloway tried to circle and find space to counter.
That counter would come in a big way as Holloway landed a bomb of an overhand right that sent Jung crashing to the canvas for the knockout.
"He’s the Korean Zombie for a reason," Holloway said after the fight of Jung’s all-out attack in the third round. "The man’s a myth. The man’s a legend. I’m just lucky my right hand landed before his did."
In the wake of the loss, Jung declared his fighting career had come to an end as he no longer believed he could become world champion.
"I’m going to stop fighting," Jung said through an interpreter. "I’ve always aimed to become a champion. I’m not here to be ranked third, fourth or fifth. I tried my absolute best to prepare for Max Holloway. I really, really believed I could beat him and I ended up failing. I don’t think I have the opportunity anymore. I think I’m going to stop fighting for now."
An emotional Jung walked from the cage wiping away tears as the crowd sang along to "Zombie" by The Cranberries, the same song that accompanied so many of Jung’s iconic walks to the Octagon.
