Korean Zombie says his shoulder popped out during the second round of his main event fight with Dan Ige at UFC Vegas 29.
Chan Sung Jung AKA Korean Zombie returned to the win column last weekend with a unanimous decision victory over fellow contender “50K.”
But it appears the win wasn’t without adversity. Through a translator at the event’s post-fight press conference, Zombie revealed that he’d been fighting through a dislocated shoulder early on in the headlining bout.
“Yeah, he felt his shoulder pop in and out when he shot in the second round and he took his back. And then, it kind of popped back in. And (coaches) kept on telling him put his hands up. And it’s not like he didn’t want to. He just couldn’t raise his hand.”
But living up to his moniker in true Zombie fashion, the 34-year-old continued to push the pace and largely dominate the fight despite the painful injury.
“And he felt like his jab got a little bit slower, so he slowed down on the jab as well. So it definitely took effect on him, but he never makes excuses.”
Having lost the opportunity to fight for the title after a defeat against Brian Ortega last year, it was important for Korean Zombie to rebound with an impressive display in his first Octagon walk of 2021. He did exactly that.
The former title challenger looked close to his best on Saturday and brought out the underrated grappling skills his coach Eddie Cha told MMA News we’d likely see.
Dan Ige, meanwhile, will look to replicate the rebound performance Zombie delivered against him next time he enters the cage.
The potential of “Dynamite” was clear in his wins over Gavin Tucker and Edson Barboza. It’s only a matter of time until he secures the big win that’ll ascend him into the 145-pound top five.
While Ige looks to earn another opportunity at a top contender, Zombie will hope to face someone like Max Holloway in a title eliminator later this year.
What did you make of Korean Zombie’s performance at UFC Vegas 29?
