The Korean Zombie Hit ‘Rock Bottom’ After Loss to Brian Ortega at UFC Fight Night 180

‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung fought Brian ‘T-City’ Ortega at UFC Fight Night 180 main-event in October. Ortega was back in action for the first time since his brutal loss to Max Holloway at UFC 231 in 2018. Many counted him out, touting ‘Zombie’ is a dangerous opponent for him. But Ortega put on the performance of his life and won a lopsided decision after dismantling Jung over the course of 5-rounds.

TKZ was on an impressive run prior to that, stopping Renato Moicano and Frankie Edgar back-to-back. He was back in featherweight title contention, and a win over Ortega would certainly have made him the No. 1 contender. But a spinning elbow from ‘T-City‘ in the second round changed the course of the fight and he dominated the rest of the bout.

Jung recently revealed that the loss affected him psychologically, and he has since gained 20 kgs (44 pounds). “The thought that my career has crashed brought me down to rock bottom,” said Jung, adding that he ate without control for a month and put on 20 kilograms,” said Jung.

He also revealed that the hectic training ahead of the bout led to him sleeping for only one and a half to two hours for two straight days ahead of the fight. He added that he sought a psychologist upon his return from Fight Island in Abu Dhabi to Seoul.

The Korean Zombie has slipped down in the rankings after his loss

Jung has slipped to No.5 in the featherweight rankings. He will have to climb back up the ladder again to make himself relevant in the featherweight title picture. As for Ortega, the win has earned him another shot at UFC gold, as he will face Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 260 in March.

A bout against Calvin Kattar though certainly makes sense for Jung in current circumstances. ‘The Boston Finisher’ suffered the same fate as Jung in his fight against Holloway. With both strikers coming off losses, it only seems right they share the Octagon at this point in time. A win will be beneficial for either fighter, but a loss will push them further down.

What did you make of Chan Sung Jung’s current state after his loss to Brian Ortega? Can ‘Zombie’ become a title contender again?

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