The Korean Zombie says it’s quite possible he headlines a UFC show in Seoul, South Korea next year — and despite talk of trades lately, he has no interest in jumping to ONE Championship.
Denver, CO — The Korean Zombie hasn’t exactly been in a fixture in the octagon of late. Mandatory military service in his native South Korea kept him away from the UFC for years. Then came his return last year, a blitzkrieg finish of Dennis Bermudez. It seemed like Zombie was back — until the injury bug struck. However, a strong performance at UFC Denver this weekend could change all that, and Zombie (properly Chan Sung Jung) hopes to build from that, potentially headlining a card in Seoul next year.
Speaking to reporters including Cageside Press at the UFC Denver media day on Thursday, Zombie said that he was aware of the proposed South Korean stop for the UFC in 2019. “There is a possibility of me headlining the event,” he said.”
Asked if he was worried Yair Rodriguez might not make weight for the fight at UFC Denver after taking it on short notice, the featherweight replied that “I don’t want to think about it. It can never happen.” Clearly, it’s a concern. Rodriguez has openly stated he was eating a cheeseburger and drinking a beer when he got the call to replace Frankie Edgar against Chan Sung Jung at UFC Denver.
As far as Yair’s flashy style, Zombie won’t be changing things up. “As you can see from my previous fights, I’m not a fighter with a flashy style. I’m planning to go forward with what I originally go with, Zombie style.”
Asked about the possibility of trades in MMA (due to the UFC and ONE Championship swapping Demetrious Johnson for Ben Askren), Zombie told reporters that while he “understands that fighters have been swapped because there’s been a tremendous amount of money involved,” he felt that “ONE Championship isn’t a place I would go to.”
The full UFC Denver media day scrum with The Korean Zombie, Chan Sung Jung, is available above. The event takes place at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO on Saturday, November 10.
