Chan Sung Jung (Korean Zombie)

The original plan was for Zombie to fight Brian Ortega and for Edger to fight Cory Sandhagen at UFC Raleigh. Early in December Ortega notified the UFC that he had partially torn his ACL which inclined them to have Edger replace Ortega. With the notion that if Edger made it out of this fight untouched, he would still fight in Raleigh. With this being said Zombie did manage to get out of his fight untouched. The UFC has made it clear that Zombie is either next in line for the title or one fight away from it. It is also likely that the UFC will look to book a rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway. That would give Zombie the perfect amount of time to take another fight before he gets his crack at the title. Were Sandhagen (a large featherweight) to move up with the loss of the Edgar fight, that could be interesting. If not, Zabit Magomedsharipov makes a lot of sense for Zombie.

Zombie’s Next Fight: Zabit Magomedsharipov, Cory Sandhagen

Volkan Oezdemir

Volkan Oezdemir won a split decision over Aleksander Rakic this past Saturday. The only fighters ahead of him in the rankings that aren’t booked for a fight are Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith. In his post-fight interview, Oezdemir mentioned that he would either like to fight the champion or have a rematch with Anthony Smith. Although every fighter would like to move forward after a win, his fight with Rakic was very close and could have been scored either way. It is believed that Santos is still in title contention and if this is true, a fight between him and Anthony Smith would be ideal.

Volkan’s Next Fight: Rematch with Smith

Ciryl Gane

Ciryl Gane is an up and coming heavyweight. One who just won the first decision of his career against Tanner Boser at UFC Busan. He is now 3-0 in the UFC and 6-0 as a pro. Gane boasts three submission wins and two knockout wins. It’s worth noting that Gane has a mild amount of hype based around him because he trains with Francis Ngannou. While the UFC’s best plan is to push Gane as slow as they can, they have a few options on the table right now to move him in the top 15. Sergei Pavlovich sits at 14 at heavyweight while Marcin Tybura is currently sitting at number 15.

Pavlovich is currently 2-1 in the UFC. He lost his debut to Alistair Overeem and defeated Marcelo Golm and Maurice Greene after that. Pavlovich is currently trending up which could mean that his next opponent will be ranked higher than him.

On the other hand, we have Marcin Tybura. Tybura is 4-5 in the UFC while holding a 17-6 overall record. He is currently on a two-fight losing streak which puts him in a  must-win position in his next fight. What better fight to make then an up-and-coming heavyweight looking to break into the top 15 fighting the number 15 ranked heavyweight that needs a win to possibly save his job.

Gane’s Next Fight: Marcin Tybura

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The final UFC card of the year has come and gone. UFC Busan flew a bit under the radar until Brian Ortega was forced out due to a partially torn ACL. With former lightweight champ and multi-time featherweight title challenger Frankie Edgar stepping in to take his place short-notice, potentially delaying his debut at bantamweight in 2020, however, suddenly, the card had a higher profile. If only through circumstance.

In the end, it was a solid night for South Korean athletes. Five local fighters picked up key wins on the night. That included main event fighter Chan Sung Jung, better known as The Korean Zombie. Zombie (16-5) ended Edgar’s night — and possibly his time in the featherweight division — with a first round TKO. It came in a fight that never really saw Edgar firing on all cylinders. The finished earned the Korean star one of two Performance of the Night bonuses.

A pass might be given for Edgar given the short notice nature of the fight, though he had been preparing for a fight against Cory Sandhagen in January. However, nothing can be taken away from Zombie. He’s now stopped two dangerous fighters in a row, both within a round.

The other Performance of the Night bonus was awarded to Alexandre Pantoja (22-4), a top flyweight whose devastating knockout of Matt Schnell got the audience on its feet early in the card.

Fight of the Night, meanwhile, went to Doo-Ho Choi (14-4) and Charles Jourdain (10-2). Choi, still serving out his mandatory military stint in South Korea, took advantage of a home town card. He looked good early in the fight, having Canada’s Jourdain hurt on multiple occasions. However the former TKO double-champ held on, rallying back at the end of the opening round. The second was another thrilling affair, with both fighters firing off flying knees and a number of more precise attacks. But it was Jourdain earning the TKO finish towards the end of the round — securing his first win inside the octagon in the process.

Attendance for UFC Busan at the Sajik Arena was announced as 10,651 during the post-fight press conference.

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Chan Sung Jung is known for his chin and his tenacity, but he’s looking to reinvent himself after a buzzer-beater loss to Yair Rodriguez. After the heartbreaking loss, the Korean Zombie was given a main event slot opposite Renato Moicano at UFC Greenville. It wasn’t a long drawn out battle this time, as Jung only needed 58 seconds to clean his opponent’s clock.

Frankie Edgar took this bout on short notice after an injury took out Brian Ortega. Edgar, of course, is a former lightweight champion and is 8-4 since moving to featherweight with three of those losses coming in title fights, including his most recent one against Max Holloway. In his career, Edgar is 3-5-1 when fighting for the belt.

Jung swung an overhand right that came up short right away. Edgar shot for a takedown that was easily defended by Jung. Edgar came in with a combination but ate a counter left that wobbled him. Edgar stumbled backward and Jung pursued him slowly. He landed a combination and Edgar fell to his back. Jung jumped on him, threw some punches, then took the back of Edgar. He couldn’t get the choke, but landed consistent ground-and-pound. Edgar found a way out, but the Korean Zombie immediately landed an uppercut to left-hand combination that floored Edgar. The former champ went down and the referee had seen enough.

After speaking in Korean for most of the post-fight interview, he had three words to say in English, “I. Want. Volkanovski.”

Chan Sung Jung def. Frankie Edgar by TKO (Punches) in Round 1 (3:18)

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Volkan Oezdemir made his presence felt quickly in the UFC. After defeating Ovince Saint Preux in his promotional debut on short notice, “No Time” knocked out Misha Cirkunov and Jimi Manuwa in a combined 50 seconds. The meteoric rise earned him a title shot against Daniel Cormier, who defeated him in a solid contest. Oezdemir ended up falling to top contenders Anthony Smith and Dominick Reyes (controversially in the latter), before putting on a great performance against Ilir Latifi most recently.

Aleksander Rakic seems to be a light heavyweight of the future. He entered the UFC at 8-1 and defeated Francimar Barroso and Justin Ledet unceremoniously before really becoming one to watch. A spinning backfist KO against Devin Clark and a huge head kick knockout over Jimi Manuwa put him on the map.

Rakic went out and landed an early left hand. He followed with two more hooks and a flying knee then tried to wrap up a standing guillotine on a charging Oezdemir. Oezdemir escaped then ate a body kick and a hook while landing a left hand. A straight connected for Rakic as he smoothly got out of the way of Oezdemir’s shot. Rakic went in for a single leg and swept out Oezdemir’s plant leg to take the fight to the mat. Oezdemir was on all fours, but didn’t spend much time there, as he returned to his feet. A slick combination landed for Rakic. Oezdemir went for a flying knee in the waning seconds off the round, but came up short.

A short left hand connected for Rakic to start the second round. Throughout the first round, Oezdemir was landing leg kicks, and a massive welt had formed under the knee of Rakic. He started the second round with a healthy diet of low kicks, and Rakic’s offense had slowed down. Rakic went for a takedown and the fight ended up on the cage. Oezdemir ate a right hand on the exit. Rakic caught a leg kick, but couldn’t turn it into a takedown. Oezdemir went in for a body shot, then clapped his hands together in the face of Rakic. The round closed soon after.

Punches flew to start the third round from both sides. Oezdemir backed Rakic to the fence, but ate a trio of punches on the counter before Rakic pushed him against the cage. Both men landed on the exit. Oezdemir connected with another leg kick, then an uppercut came through for Rakic. Left hands up top then to the body landed for Oezdemir. Rakic pushed through the leg kicks to push Oezdemir against the fence. Oezdemir continuously threw short shots and the round came to a close.

After Oezdemir earned the split decision, he called out both men who defeated him in the UFC, Anthony Smith and Dominick Reyes.

Volkan Oezdemir def. Aleksander Rakic by Split Decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

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After nearly a year away, Doo Ho Choi took advantage of a South Korean card to pick up a fight while still serving out his mandatory military service in South Korea. His opponent at UFC Busan, Canada’s Charles Jourdain, who lost his short-notice debut back at UFC Rochester in May.

Choi backed the Canadian up to the fence early, but Jourdain broke free. Out in the open they’d trade, Jourdain finding success with his uppercut, and launching a wild flying knee. Choi answered back, doing a little damage to the nose of Jourdain. Two minutes in, a counter-punch wobbled Jourdain. He seemed to recover quickly, firing a high kick. Choi answered with a kick to the leg, then clipped Jourdain again! Jourdain tumbled to the mat, sitting back in guard, trying to tie up Choi was he got on top. Jourdain was soon looking for an upkick, or arm-bar. He’d work his way back up, only to eat a spinning back fist that landed with an audible crack. In the final minute, however, it was Jourdain coming on, landing a flying knee followed by a punch that sent Choi down!

Having survived the round, Choi and Jourdain went right back at it in the second. No scares through the opening two minutes, but plenty of action with both men landing. As the round wore on, however, Jourdain found himself retreating from Choi’s right hand. He’d regroup and go on the attack himself, adding in an uppercut. Choi would fire a jump knee, but Jourdain survived. He went on the attack again late, with another flying knee attack of his own. Before time could wind down, Jourdain fired a left hand that dropped Choi! Some extra strikes as Choi covered up, and that was it!

🤫🤫🤫

Good morning, Quebec! 🇨🇦

Your boy is here to stay! @JourdainAir #UFCBusan pic.twitter.com/2NTYe4nx6Y

— UFC (@ufc) December 21, 2019

After the fight Jourdain called out to “Uncle Dana” for a post-fight bonus, in the hopes of moving out of his parent’s basement.

Official Result: Charles Jourdain def. Doo Ho Choi by TKO, Round 2, 4:32

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South Korea’s Da Un Jung was looking to make it two in a row at UFC Busan on Saturday. Fighting at home, he was taking on Mike ‘Slow’ Rodriguez on the main card of the Fight Night event, airing on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass.

Jung’s first trip to the octagon had resulted in a third-round submission of Khadis Ibragimov at UFC Shenzhen. His second ended much quicker than that.

Jung fired a front kick as he and Roriguez circled, but it didn’t take long at all for him to do something more spectacular. Uncorking a fight-ending punch just over a minute into the fight, the South Korean sent Mike Rodriguez crashing to the canvas. It was a right hand that hit home, catching Rodriguez flush. The American was pretty much done at that point. Although Jung added a few more strikes to ensure Rodriguez truly was out before the ref made the save.

“I hope it’s like this every single time!” Jung said following the bout.

Official Result: Da Un Jung def. Mike Rodriguez by knockout, Round 1, 1:04

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Canada’s Marc-André Barriault had likely one last opportunity to earn a win and show he belonged in the UFC in South Korea on Saturday. The former TKO champion had lost his first two UFC bouts, and was facing local favorite Jun Yong Park at UFC Busan.

Park was able to get his hands going early at the Fight Night event. Firing combos and winning in the boxing department. The ‘Power Bar’ was looking for a counter, which at least for the moment simply wasn’t there. An eye poke on Park then led to a pause in the action.

Back underway, the South Korean attacked with a left hook. A moment later he forced the Canadian back to a flurry, then changed levels and completed a double-leg takedown. Barriault scrambled to his knees, but had to be careful not to give up his neck or back. Park was easily winning the round, firing more, landing more, and connecting with more significant strikes. Barriault would turn things up a little late, but Park answered in kind.

Round two had Barriault pressing forward, landing a leg kick and spinning back fist (which may have been more of an elbow). That, however, opened Barriault up the a count-attack and he was soon under fire, then taken down. Barriault made it back to a knee and regained his footing, only to be dragged down again. At the midway point of the fight it was clear that something needed to change for Barriault. More than likely a finish. He fired a couple of low kicks, but curiously followed one up with another spinning back fist attempt, which had already landed him in trouble earlier. Still, he was pressuring and finding the most success he’d had in the fight to that point. Good head movement and stance switches allowed Barriault to sustain his attack, although the damage that actually resulted was minimal.

The third round saw Barriault go on the attack immediately. But it was Park landing an early takedown. His opponent was back up almost immediately, but the round could be crucial depending on how judges scored the second frame. The pair would engage in a clinch with both men landing, but that would seem to favor Park more. As the round wore on things became more urgent for Barriault. He cut off the cage, and changed levels for a takedown. Instead of landing it, he found his neck latched on to by Park, who was able to reverse then break free, moving back to center. They’d end up going the distance, with ‘The Iron Turtle’ Jun Yong Park handing Barriault his third defeat in the octagon.

Official Result: Jun Yong Park def. Marc-Andre Barraiult by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

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Bantamweights Kyung Ho Kang and Liu Pingyuan opened the main card at UFC Busan on Saturday. The bout found South Korea’s Kang looking to make it three wins in a row, while his Chinese counterpart was hoping to bounce back from the first loss of his UFC tenure, which saw him knocked out by a knee from Jonathan Martinz at UFC Sacramento. Liu was cornered by legend Urijah Faber, but he was fighting in enemy territory.

It was Kang scoring an early takedown off a level change, to a roar from the partisan crowd, that set the tone in the fight. Kang would spend much of the round on top, staying just active enough to keep the fight on the ground. Liu would briefly try for a guillotine from the top, but really didn’t have the position to make it happen. With ninety seconds left, he’d scramble free, getting back to his feet. Only to be taken down again moments later.

Moral of the round, it’s hard to win a fight off your back. Urijah Faber told his fighter as much between rounds.

Kang would land a head kick, something of a glancing blow, in the opening seconds of round two. The South Korean then changed levels and put Liu on his back. From there, it was a similar scene to the first round. Liu was unable to escape, although he would work his way back to teh fence.

Round three at least saw the action remain on the feet for the first minute, which allowed Liu some time to work. He was also able to fight off the initial level change/takedown attempt by Kang. The takedown, however, would come by mid-round. The only real surprise came when one judge scored the bout for Liu Pingyuan.

Official Result: Kyung Ho Kang def. Liu Pingyuan by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)

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Tanner Boser and Ciryl Gane served as the featured preliminary fight at UFC Busan. Boser vs. Gane was an interesting heavyweight match-up: Boser was one of Canada’s most successful big men of late, while Gane, representing France, had actually won a TKO title earlier in his career.

Gane was a heavy favorite heaing into the fight. But Boser, noticably smaller, held his own early, changing stances and throwing more. He’d catch a kick, but come up short on the left hook he fired off over top of it. Boser slipped off a leg kick while taking a punch to the body, but was up immediately. Later in the frame, Boser would find some success with his overhand right. Gane would fan on an uppercut, and another overhand right from Boser would follow. It was power vs. technique early, as Gane was taking big swings, but Boser was putting more combinations together.

The second round saw Boser immediately move in with a combination. Gane would try to chance levels on Boser’s next attack, but Boser was able to fend the takedown attempt off. He was showing some damage by the right eye, a trickle of blood. Gane would target that moments later, landing a left. Gane landed a kick to the upper thigh, and his punches upstairs were beginning to take a toll, single strikes or not. Boser would land a leg kick, while Gane would go to the boy. Gane tried a stance switch of his own. Moments later he’d move in and land clean on Boser. Gane would move in, looking for the kill, but Boser was able to escappe. Another inside leg kick landed for Boser. He’d land a left to the body, but eat a knee in a clinch shortly after. A counter by Gane connected in the final minute, and he was slowly pulling ahead.

Between rounds, Boser’s corner told him he needed the round. He came out on the attack, throwing a combination. Gane was still sitting down on his strikes, throwing for power. Boser would catch a kick, but was unable to take advantage of it. A knee landed for Gane, and Boser appeared a bit worse for the wear. Still, he pressed on. It became increasingly apparent, however, that the Canadian needed a stoppage to secure the victory at UFC Busan. And that simply wasn’t in the cars. Instead, Gane let his hands go in the final two minutes. Still power shots, but more of them. Gane threw a couple more knees, including a jump knee with a minute left. Boser was under fire, eating strikes to the body and head, while staying mobile enough to avoid coming close to being stopped. He survived to the final bell, but Gane took home the decision win.

Official Result: Ciryl Gane def. Tanner Boser by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

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Featherweight action at UFC Busan on Saturday saw Seung Woo Choi face Suman Mokhtarian. The preliminary card battle had Choi looking to bounce back from losses in his first two UFC bouts, including a defeat at the hands of Canada’s Gavin Tucker back at UFC 240 in July. Mokhtarian, meanwhile, hoped to rebound from the first loss of his career, against Sodiq Yusuff a year ago.

Mokhtarian found himself under fire early, eating one on the chin from Choi. Choi then landed a kick, which Mokhtarian had to shake off. Choi would later drive his opponent into the fence, while Mokhtarian fired a number of knees. Choi then returned fire, landing to the belly and head. However, a fence grab, in fact several, led to a point deduction against Choi by the ref. With ninety seconds remaining, Mokhtarian then came out firing, while Choi held center, firing kicks and a combination upstairs to keep him at bay.

The point deduction was no doubt going to loom large as the fight wore on. Choi went upstairs with a kick early in the second. Mokhtarian’s best weapon was his right hand. But Choi warmed early, firing off hooks while his opponent covered up. Looking rather one-sided, Mokhtarian managed to survive, breaking free only to eat a kick and wind up on his back. From there, Mokhtarian tried to latch on to an arm, but he was in a bad spot. Choi maanged to land a number of elbows from half guard. The ref briefly paused to action to return Mokhtarian’s mouth guard, which had fallen out at some point during the earlier attack. But Choi was able to cause more damage after that brief pause, before they returned to the feet for the final minute.

Round three likely had Mokhtarian down, regardless of the point deduction. And while thigns started slow, Mokhtarian exploded mid-round, landing jumping attacks and a number of strikes. However, he wound up planted on his back after getting a little too wild, and was immediately in danger of succumbing to an arm-triangle. What might have been a fight-changing moment, wound up playing into Choi’s hands. Losing the choke, he was still in side control, with only ninety seconds remaining in the fight.

Ultimately, he’d run out of time, losing the unanimous decision, as Seung Woo Choi picked up his first win in the octagon.

Official Result: Seung Woo Choi def. Suman Mokhtarian by unanimous decision (29-26, 29-26, 29-25) 

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