This past weekend, featherweight superstar ‘The Korean Zombie’, Chan Sung Jung stepped into the Octagon for the first time in nearly 4 years. The return was a triumphant one for the fan-favorite featherweight, who had been absent from the Octagon since his 2013 TKO loss to Jose Aldo. Following that fight, The Korean Zombie began his mandatory two-years of military service to South Korea. Fortunately, The Korean Zombie was able to continue training despite his military service, however that combined with fatherhood has certainly left a lasting impact on the zombie, and how he views fighting.
In an exclusive interview for BJPenn.com’s Rapid Fire, The Korean Zombie spoke about how fatherhood and his military service changed his perspective on fighting and martial arts:
“Absolutely. How could it not? As opposed to just fighting for myself and putting on exciting fights, I have to fight to pay the bills and take care of my family. I want to be a good father to my two young daughters, so I have to think about things differently. I don’t think that will necessarily make me less of a fighter… If anything, it may make me a better fighter and extend my career as long as possible. I’m still the Zombie, though!”
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Following the win, The Korean Zombie spoke in his post-fight Octagon interview about low morale in Korea at the present time. He elaborated on his comments, saying:
“There has been a lot of political turmoil in Korea for a while now, so I made my comments just in the hopes that maybe my win could offer a little distraction from those recent events. I’m not trying to make any huge political statements, because that’s not my place. I was just hoping that people in Korea might be able to get a bit of inspiration from it. I hope for a strong and harmonious Korea.”
With his win over Dennis Bermudez this past weekend, The Korean Zombie found himself at #9 on the UFC’s official rankings. He spoke about where he feels the win put him in the division:
“I was hoping that it would put me between Bermudez’s ranking and my ranking when I left, but I’m happy to be back in the top ten. Hopefully, one more good win will get me back in the title mix.”
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 2/10/2017.