Korean Zombie to step into featherweight title shot against Volkanovski
With all the shake-ups recently in the UFC PPV event cycle, one bout might have slipped under the radar. That fight is a UFC featherweight title fight between champion Alexander Volkanovski and Chan Sung Jung. “The Korean Zombie” has been a staple in the featherweight division for a long time and now has finally earned his way back to a title shot.
Alex Volkanovski vs. Chang Sung Jung for the 145 title is a done deal for UFC 273 on April 9.
Co-main is Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan for the 135 title.
Location TBD. Likely not Brooklyn.
New headliner for UFC 272 is Jorge Masvidal x Colby Covington. Verbal, not signed.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) January 11, 2022
The news was first reported by Ariel Helwani along with a whole mess of other fights being added and rearranged. Originally Volkanovski was scheduled to defend his belt against a familiar foe in Max Holloway. Unfortunately for Holloway, he suffered an injury and had to pull out of the fight. That left a spot for Jung to slide in. With the change-up of opponents, the UFC has also pushed the date back as well. The bout with Jung will now take place on the UFC 273 card on April 9. A welterweight bout between Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal will now headline UFC 272 in March.
Volkanovski has been nothing but amazing in his UFC career so far. He won the title back in 2019 and has now defended it twice. He has yet to be stopped in his 10 UFC fights and in fact, has not lost since 2013. If he can get past Jung, it seems likely that Volkanovski will see Holloway yet again.
Korean Zombie might be one of the most overlooked fighters at 145 pounds. He is a quiet guy who doesn’t make headlines outside of the cage. However, he is a great fighter inside the Octagon and now will have an opportunity to finally get that UFC gold. He is an exciting fighter and has shown that by earning himself seven performance bonuses in his UFC career. Jung had a shot at the belt back in 2013 before having to take a leave of absence for military duty. Upon his return to the UFC, Jung worked hard to defeat some great opponents and now is being rewarded with a title shot.
