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| Korean MMA fighter Jung Chan-sung, better known by his nickname 'Korean Zombie,' trains at a gym in Seoul on Sept. 19, 2018. Yonhap |
Korean fighter Jung Chan-sung needed a win to stay in the UFC featherweight title picture, and he got it Saturday night at the Apex in Las Vegas.
Jung defeated Dan Ige of the U.S. on points, 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47, on the official scorecards as the UFC Fight Night's main event.
The 34-year-old Jung, who challenged Jose Aldo for the title eight years ago and has remained in the mix to try for another shot, ran his record to 17-6. Ige, who trains in Las Vegas, fell to 15-4.
Data from UFC Stats showed the closeness of the fight, belying the judges' cards. Jung landed 140 strikes, only two more than Ige.
Jung, nicknamed "The Korean Zombie," recorded a second-round knockdown, although he fell short of his goal, he said after the match.
"I wanted to show everything and bring everything in this fight. In the fifth round, I wanted to do some kind of submission, so I do feel a little bit upset about that," Jung said through an interpreter, according to ESPN.
Ige, who clamored for the matchup and did rattle Jung with a left hand in the fifth round, said he "went out there and fought my best. I came in the absolute best. I have no excuses. Zombie is an absolute legend. I've been watching this guy since I graduated high school. He's still one of the best in the world. That's all I want is to test myself against the best in the world."
In the heavyweight co-main match, Sergey Spivak, a Moldovan-Ukrainian, ran his record to 13-2 with a decision win over Ukraine native Aleksei Oleinik (59-16-1).
Bantamweight Marlon Vera (17-7-1) of Ecuador also won on a decision over Englishman Davey Grant (13-5-0).
Other winners, all by TKO, were featherweight Choi Seung-woo (10-3-0) of Korea; middleweight Bruno Silva (20-6-0) of Brazil; and welterweight Matt Brown (25-18-0) of the U.S. (Reuter)
