"He's got knockout power in both hands" - Dana White surprised with Chan Sung Jung being such a heavy underdog

Dana White (left) and Chan Sung Jung (right) (Images via Getty)

Chan Sung Jung is challenging Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC featherweight title at UFC 274, and while the Korean has spent a decade at the top of the division he's not being given a big chance of winning this fight by the sportsbooks.

Jung is a +500 betting underdog to Volkanovski's -800 favorite status, which is an extremely wide line. In fact, it's the widest line on the entire UFC 273 card.

During a new episode of The Pat McAffe Show, UFC president Dana White expressed shock at the odds given Chan Sung Jung. He said:

"For 'The Korean Zombie' to be that big of an underdog? That's crazy. He's got knockout power in both hands, his submission game is awesome, and he's a guy that presses forward, has obviously with the nickname has an impressive chin. But I think people are finally starting to give Volkanovski the respect he deserves. This guy hasn't lost ... he's on a twenty fight win streak. He's beat some of the best guys in the world, he's the world champion, and the oddsmakers are showing him respect."

Watch the full Dana White interview on The Pat McAffe show below:

Chan Sung Jung is on a 4-2 run in the UFC with his most recent loss being to Brian Ortega in October 2020. Ortega blanked Jung on the scorecards, earning a 50–45x3 unanimous decision. In comparison, Volkanovski largely dominated Ortega when they fought in Septmeber 2021, earning 49–46, 50–45, and 50–44 scores on the judges' cards.

👑 Volkanovski v Korean Zombie 🧟‍♂️

@AlexVolkanovski is on a tear through the division, can the @koreanzombiemma dethrone him?

#UFC273 | Saturday 1am | BT Sport 1 HD https://t.co/DWyDvn3wZS

While MMA math is never quite so clearcut, the differeing results against a common opponent like Ortega point towards Volkanovski potentially being on another level.

First to the scales, the champ is in at 144.5 🏆

[ @AlexVolkanovski | #UFC273 | Tomorrow | Live on ESPN+ PPV: ufc.ac/38c71dW ] https://t.co/o5UFaTomzg

Chan Sung Jung is a legacy fight for Alexander Volkanovski

Chan Sung Jung is one of the last elite fighters at featherweight that Alexander Volkanovski needs to beat before he can credibly claim to have cleaned out the division. That's a big motivating factor for the champ, who told Morning Kombat that he's excited to add another legend to his resume. He said:

"It's a bit of a legacy fight... Someone said the other day his last title shot was like nine years ago, his title shot against Aldo. I am like man, I just started then. You know what I mean. I was just like an amateur then, you know what I mean. This shows you how long he's been in the game, been at the top. So, this is a guy that has been at the top of the featherweight division forever. You look at the legends of the featherweight division, he's right up there. I've taken out pretty much all of them."

Watch Alexander Volkanovski discuss Chan Sung Jung on Morning Kombat below: