UFC Vegas 29: Korean Zombie vs. Ige Preview

 

This Saturday the UFC will give us a very entertaining featherweight fight between Chan Sung Jung and Dan Ige. Nicknamed ‘The Korean Zombie’ because of his ability to move forward and fight aggressively after taking heavy blows, Chan Sung Jung was born in 1987 and he’s been a mixed martial artist since 2007, competing for organizations like Pancrase, Deep, World Victory Road, World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and the UFC.

As a kid, he was bullied because of his size and rural origins, which prompted his aunt to take him to a nearby Hapkido gym when he was 14 years old. Jung also trained in kickboxing until his junior year of high school. After that, he also began training in judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and when he turned 18 he joined the South Korean Navy and started training Taekwondo. In 2007 Jung won a Sambo tournament arranged by the Korean Sambo Association.

Jung submitted Hyung Geol Lee in the second round of his first professional fight at SSF – Super Sambo Festival on June 24, 2007. ‘The Korean Zombie’ debuted with the UFC at UFC Fight Night 24 on March 26, 2011, submitting Leonard Garcia in the second round. He is 6-3 in the promotion, beating the likes of Dustin Poirier, Renato Carneiro and Frankie Edgar. In his last fight, he lost a unanimous decision against Brian Ortega at UFC Fight Night 180 on October 17.

 

Born: March 17, 1987

Age: 34

Country: South Korea

Height: 5’9″

Weight: 145 lbs

Reach: 72″

Stance: Orthodox

Association: Fight Ready

Class: Featherweight

Record: 16-6

 

A Honolulu, Hawaii native, Dan Ige started his amateur career in 2012 and went 4-1 before going pro. He then competed for various regional promotions from 2014 to 2017. Ige and his longtime girlfriend relocated to Las Vegas in 2016 with only $27 to their name. Dan Ige submitted Luis Gomez in the third round at Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series on July 25, 2017 and then lost a unanimous decision against Julio Arce at UFC 220 on January 20, 2018.

Ige won six straight fights, improving his MMA record to 14-2 before losing a unanimous decision against Calvin Kattar at UFC on ESPN 13 on July 15. He got back on track by stopping Gavin Tucker at UFC Fight Night 187 on March 13. He is now 15-3 in his MMA career.

 

Born: August 6, 1991

Age: 29

Country: United States

Height: 5’7″

Weight: 145 lbs

Reach: 71″

Stance: Orthodox

Association: Xtreme Couture

Class: Featherweight

Record: 15-3