The Korean Zombie Retires After Defeat to Max Holloway at UFC Singapore

The Korean Zombie Retires After Defeat to Max Holloway at UFC Singapore

Byron Pillay
updated at August 26, 2023 at 4:13 PM
  • The Korean Zombie has been fighting in the UFC since 2011 and fought for the Featherweight title twice
  • Chang Sung Jung retired after he was knocked out in round three by Max Holloway at UFC Singapore
  • Zombie was serenaded by fans as he walked away from the sport after 16 years as a professional fighter

A legend of the UFC has called an end to his career.

The Korean Zombie Chang Sung Jung made the decision to retire from the sport after 16 years as a professional fighter.

Zombie made the decision after he suffered a third-round knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC Singapore.

The Korean Zombie Chang Sung Jung.
The Korean Zombie officially announced his retirement after his defeat to Max Holloway at UFC Singapore. Image: Suhaimi Abdullah.
Source: Getty Images

The two Featherweights, who have both enjoyed lengthy careers in the Octagon, had never fought each other prior to their main event bout.

Speaking after the fight, Zombie said he only wanted to continue fighting if he was still one of the top contenders for the title. By coming up short against the number one contender, the South Korean decided to bring his legendary career to an end.

In his previous fight before the Holloway loss, he was defeated by Alexander Volkanovski for the Featherweight title, Bleacher Report noted.

Zombie’s legendary career

As noted by UFC Stats, Zombie ended his professional MMA career with 17 win and eight losses.

He made his debut in the UFC in 2011 and fought for the belt twice in his career. He fought 12 times in the UFC and was known for his power and entertaining style of fighting. Zombie won four of his fights in the UFC via KO/ THO and earned a performance of the night bonus for three of them.

A fitting tribute for Zombie

While his final fight didn’t go as planned, the reception he received from fans in Asia made for a fitting send-off.

Fans sang along to his entrance song, Zombie by The Cranberries, and even sang it after he announced he was retiring from the sport.

The serenading by supporters brought him to tears as he exited the arena for the last time.

Holloway wants to fight Davis

Could the world of combat sports see another crossover event in which a professional boxer takes on an MMA competitor?

If Max 'Blessed' Holloway gets his way, that will definitely be the case.

The former UFC Featherweight champion has discussed the possibility of competing in a high-profile boxing match and even named his dream opponent, Sports Brief reported.

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Byron Pillay
Byron Pillay is a sports writer and Head of the Department at Sports Brief (joined in 2022) with over 10 years of experience in community journalism and a degree in journalism from Caxton's Cadet School.
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