Return of the Living Dead: Chan Sung Jung Vows That a Change is Coming

It’s inevitable that a hot prospect will one day fall from grace. 2010 in particular has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that no MMA star is unbeatable no matter what their past record is or how highly they are touted. Chan Sung Jung, the man known as “The Korean Zombie” due to his uncanny ability to absorb damage and somehow keep moving forward, is simply another of 2010’s many examples. After competing in a sure-fire “Fight of the Year” candidate against Leonard Garcia in his WEC debut, Jung was on the wrong end of a brilliant head-kick KO courtesy of George Roop. And according to the man himself, that KO signaled the death of The Korean Zombie as we know him. Here are all the details.

Bloody Elbow picked up on the following quotes from the popular Korean fighter: “On the way to the hospital – as they drew my blood and performed the CT scan – I could only think one thing… That I would never fight again… Is this the best I can do? Am I only good enough to lose to a fighter who was perceived as mediocre by MMA fans? …The pride I once had for fighting ‘Zombie Style’ has been shattered. I’m going to change… It’s okay if everyone boos me. It’s okay if no one in the world ever cheers for me again… I will never fight with the same style, ever again.”

I think it’s unfortunate that Jung is coming down so hard on himself. Whether or not I think that self-criticism is warranted is besides the point, although if you did ask me, I’d say that the Zombie deserves some criticism but also a lot of credit. I’m not going to name names, but I will say this: in an era where more and more hot prospects are starting to get gun-shy in order to protect their records, Chan Sung Jung went out with reckless abandon in order to give the fans their money’s worth. He did it in the Garcia fight, he did it against Roop. He simply got caught the second time around. It happens.

Chan Sung Jung strikes me as the kind of fighter that the UFC will go out of their way to keep employed. The UFC has a long history of keeping entertaining fighters employed despite a losing streak or a hit-and-miss win/loss ratio, and I think Jung is a great example of a fighter that entertains win or lose. I’m sad that Jung is being so harsh on himself, but it saddens me even more (and fills me with a not-inconsiderate amount of worry) that the Zombie we all came to know may now be a thing of the past.

I think it will be very interesting to see what the new “Korean Zombie” looks like when he inevitably winds up in the UFC. Will we get someone who fights smarter, not harder, but who also still possesses the ability to enthrall the fans? Will we get an over-protective Zombie that wins fights in boring fashion but does indeed win fights? Could we possibly be witnessing the birth of a zombie that retreats from punishment rather than boldly pressing onward? A lot of questions remain when it comes to the return of the zombie, but I’ll remain hopeful and I wish Chan Sung Jung the best of luck.

And what about you, fans and friends? What kind of future do you think “The Korean Zombie” has in the UFC, and what changes in his style do you see him making?