Did The Korean Zombie serve in the military in the middle of his fighting career? Explaining Chan Sung Jung's 2-year UFC hiatus
Chan Sung Jung, better known in the MMA circuit as 'The Korean Zombie', announced his retirement from MMA on Saturday.
It was a tear-jerking scene at the Singapore Indoor Stadium as the veteran of the sport laid his gloves down in the center of the cage after suffering a third-round knockout at the hands of Max Holloway.
An owner of a decorated MMA career, Jung exits the UFC after 12 fights under its banner, including two fights for the featherweight title. Prior to that, he competed in Pancrase, Korea FC, DEEP, and Sengoku before signing with the WEC right before the merger with the UFC.
After his first failed title challenge against Jose Aldo in August 2013, Jung left the UFC for two years to take part in South Korea's mandatory military service. He announced the news in a Facebook post, where he revealed that he would be entering the boot camp on October 20, 2014. He also shared that he underwent a month of training and was working at the district office.
Conscription or mandatory state service in the armed forces, has existed in Jung's home country since 1957. It requires male citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 to compulsorily join the military service in some capacity.
Jung hurt his shoulder against Aldo, which led to other injuries and caused him to pull out of an October 2014 match-up against Akira Corassani. He was replaced by Max Holloway for the fight, after which he took a break from fighting for his military duties. He was not seen inside the octagon till February 2017.
After his return from active duty, 'The Korean Zombie' shared his military experience with Ariel Helwani for MMA Fighting:
"To be honest, it was pretty uneventful... Because of all of the injuries and surgeries that I had from MMA, I was given a government office job. So, basically, I was like a civil servant. After basic training, I was able to live at home and commute to work."
He added that he found time to continue training after finishing his office work, but not as intensely as he normally would.
'The Korean Zombie' retires from MMA with emotional statements
Chan Sung Jung bid adieu to his fans with a heart-rendering message during the post-fight interview with Michael Bisping:
"I’m going to stop fighting. I always aimed to be a champion when I first started the sport. I’m not here to be ranked third, fourth, or fifth. I tried my absolute best to prepare for Max Holloway. I really believed I could beat him. But I ended up failing, so I don’t think I have the opportunity anymore. So I think I’m going to stop fighting from now."
Watch 'The Korean Zombie's octagon interview below:
During his UFC tenure, 'The Korean Zombie' has faced the likes of Dustin Poirier, Yair Rodriguez, Frankie Edgar, Brian Ortega, Dan Ige, and finally Max Holloway, on top of his title fights against Jose Aldo and Alexander Volkanovski.
Despite his star-studded UFC resume, the MMA community cannot help but wonder what it would've been like to see more of him during his prime in the two years he had to take off for public service.
In another heartfelt statement later posted on his Instagram, 'The Korean Zombie' confirmed his decision to retire. Dustin Poirier, Megan Olivi, Dan Ige, and others showered him with respect and wished him a happy retirement.