'Korean Zombie' says retirement depends on UFC Fight Night 225 performance vs. Max Holloway
Chan Sung Jung says his performance against Max Holloway at UFC Singapore will determine whether it's his final MMA fight.
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Chan Sung Jung hasn’t decided whether UFC Fight Night 225 will be the final fight of his MMA career – and he won’t until it’s over.
“The Korean Zombie” hasn’t been hesitant to acknowledge that he’s at the tail end of his time in the sport. Jung (17-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) wanted at least one more marquee fight before it was over, though, and that’s why he called to fight former champ Max Holloway (24-7 MMA, 20-7 UFC) in Saturday’s featherweight main event at Singapore Indoor Stadium, which streams on ESPN+.
“I’ve wanted to fight Holloway forever,” Jung told reporters through an interpreter at UFC Fight Night 225 media day. “Whenever I imagine me fighting Holloway, I also expect a slugfest to happen. Both fighters are going to be worn out to the very bottom, so it’s going to be a very fun fight.”
Jung enters the fight with Holloway as a massive betting underdog. Odds have Holloway as high as an 8-to-1 favorite, meaning there are expectations for a lopsided result.
All of that is just noise to Jung, though. He said he is going into the octagon with a winning mindset, and he knows he’s capable of pulling off a huge upset.
“I respect Max,” Jung said. “He’s a living legend. He’s a legend in this division. I’ve fought three legends here in this division: I fought Jose Aldo, I fought (Alexander) Volkanovski. I respect Max, but just because I respect him does not mean I’m going to go easy on him. I expect to win this fight. I’m going to go hard on him.”
At 36, Jung has endured a lot of punishment throughout his career. He’s repeatedly put on violent fights, and there’s no denying it has taken its tole.
He appears to be in a good place mentally and physically heading into UFC Fight Night 225, and that’s why he won’t commit to retirement beforehand. He wants to see how things translate into the octagon Saturday before making any major decisions.
“I’m not really sure what’s going to happen,” Jung said. “It’s very difficult for a fighter to acknowledge that one’s career has ended. I’ll have to see how well I fight in the octagon. I’ll have to assess myself on this fight, and then decide what’s going on next.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 225.