Max Holloway welcomed a war with “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung in the UFC Singapore main event and that’s exactly what he delivered.
The ex-featherweight champion, who was fighting with a heavy-heart due to the tragic wildfires back in his home state of Hawaii, put on a classic performance as he went toe-to-toe with Jung from the first second of the fight until the last. It was the third round when the fighters decided to just throw caution to the wind and start blasting away at each other with punches.
That’s where Holloway unleashed a vicious right hand that twisted “The Korean Zombie” around and sent him face first to the canvas with the referee immediately rushing in to stop the fight. The end came at just 23 seconds in the third round with Holloway eventually helping Jung up back to his feet before holding his hand high in front of a raucous crowd in Singapore.
“Give it up for ‘Korean Zombie,’ this guy’s a f****** legend!” Holloway shouted. “He’s ‘The Korean Zombie’ for a reason. I’m just lucky my right hand landed before his.”
It was a frantic pace throughout the entire fight with “The Korean Zombie” just stepping into the pocket and launching bombs at Holloway during nearly every exchange. After a razor-close opening round, Holloway pressed forward in the second and he clipped Jung with a hard shot that sent him down to the floor in a heap.
Rather than follow up with punches, Holloway turned to walk away but the fight continued, which led to him grabbing onto a D’arce choke. While the submission was close, Jung survived and it actually allowed him enough time to recover and get back to his feet again.
Between rounds, Jung appeared to decide that he was going to throw everything and the kitchen sink at Holloway to start the third, which led to a wild brawl between the fighters. With both swinging hammers at each other it was Holloway’s devastating right hand that ended up as the knockout shot with “The Korean Zombie” faceplanting on the canvas, which led to the stoppage from referee Marc Goddard.
Afterwards, Jung removed his gloves and through his translator, he announced that he would be retiring from the sport.
“I’m going to stop fighting” Jung said. “I’ve always aimed to become 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, really believed I could beat him but I ended up failing so I don’t think I have the opportunity anymore. I think I’m going to stop fighting.”
TKZ announces his retirement from MMA after #UFCSingapore
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 26, 2023
What a career pic.twitter.com/IlFSEtnoqL
As Jung left the octagon with his walkout song “Zombie” by The Cranberries echoing throughout the arena, he broke down in tears while greeting his loved ones waiting for him. He retires with a 17-8 record overall with a reputation as one of the most beloved fighters on the entire UFC roster.
Meanwhile, Holloway was also overwhelmed with emotion as he dedicated his fight to the people back home in Hawaii following the horrific events that have unfolded there over the past few weeks.
“I can’t even talk about the fight right now,” Holloway said. “Only thing on my mind is Lahaina, Maui. This one is for you guys. If you guys can, please on Instagram, share to the world and help my fellow Hawaiians. It really means a lot.”
