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The Korean Zombie to Revive Career Against Ige

Chan Sung Jung vs Dan Ige Headlines Fight Night

UFC Fight Night at UFC Apex is a packed card of experienced fighters, including the main event between Chan Sung Jung and Dan Ige.

The featherweight contest hosts two of the most exciting MMA exponents and the online sportsbook can’t split them.

Yair Rodriguez fights Chan Sung Jung of Korea in their Featherweight bout during the UFC Fight Night
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP

They pay out at -115 to win, so a close fight is expected over five rounds. We expect money to come for the Korean Zombie, who has always attracted attention for his relentless aggression.

Chan Sung Jung Seeking Bounce Back Win

The South Korean had only one fight in 2020 when losing a five-round decision to Brian Ortega.

He shouldn’t have lost any admirers with the performance and although it was his sixth career loss, he’s more than capable of bouncing back.

The 34-year-old has looked stellar when beating Frankie Edgar and Renato Moicano by knockout in 2019. Those victories put him back on the map in the featherweight division, and although Ortega has the first shot at Alexander Volkanovski’s title, we believe Chan Sung Jung should be next in line.

It would likely be his final chance, but first he must get past Dan Ige. A loss with significant damage could force him to retire.

“I figured out my weaknesses that Dan Ige thinks of myself and melted them into my training,” reported Sportskeeda. “I got hit a lot of elbows. If I get hit with an elbow this time and I lose, I might have to consider retirement.”

He has battled back from adversity many times throughout his career. He was famously knocked out with one second to go in the fifth round against Yair Rodriguez at UFC Fight Night in 2018.

It was only seven months later when he took 58 seconds to knockout Moicano, so could make a similar impression against Ige.

Ige Finds KO Form

It had been since June 2018 since Danny Ige scored a knockout win, but the steak was broken quickly against Gavin Tucker in March.

The Hawaiian took just 22 seconds to dispatch the 13-2 fighter and it will have him fresh for Saturday’s fight against a much harder opponent.

The new dad has had to adjust to having a newborn son during fight camp, but he’s ready for the challenge.

“Nothing’s gonna slow down or stop for me so I saw it as a challenge and a big opportunity for me so I obviously took the opportunity and it’s been the best thing ever, to be honest,” Ige said.

“Taking that leap of faith and coming home from training every single day, getting to hold my son and watch him grow, it’s just added motivation and he’s brought so much structure into my life. I wanna be there for him and I wanna be the best I can be as a fighter and as an athlete and he helps me with that. It’s been awesome.”

Becoming a father has worked wonders for many UFC fighters. It shifts their focus and provides a work-life balance, which is often a recipe for success in the world of MMA.

Ige made a lasting impression in his last fight and that was stuck with bettors. UFC betting markets have him at -115, which is surprising. We expect his odds to drift a touch due to the popularity of the Korean Zombie, so if his odds firm on fight night, there is supreme confidence.

Will It Go The Distance?

Over 4½ rounds is the -120 favorite and it should go close. They are capable of scoring a knockout win, but they won’t let their hands drop and risk a KO loss.

Chan Sung Jung always comes forward with relentless pressure, but he would be wise to pace himself. He comes off a five-round fight where he got tired late, so conserving energy is a sound strategy.

Ige will look for an early opening and try for the quick knockout. However, he’s a smart fighter and once those opportunities close, he’ll pace himself.

We expect the fight to go the distance, but the fans will be hoping for the fight to end in dramatic fashion and not in the hands of the judges.

Chan Sung Jung vs Dan Ige Pick

We are huge fans of the Korean Zombie and we believe he has one or two big fights left in store.

He was brave against Brian Ortega and he’s one of the best in the division, which is a better form guide than Dan Ige’s win against Gavin Tucker.

We’re happy to take the -115 odds and it’s a fight that will feature plenty of punches thrown, so it could come down to which fighter lands the power punches.

The edge in that department goes to the South Korean and we think his odds will firm, so take the current odds.

Pick: Chan Sung Jung -115

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