Chan Sung Jung, widely known as The Korean Zombie, has been a thrilling presence in the UFC’s featherweight division. Having embarked on his MMA journey in 2007, he joined the UFC in late 2011, consistently delivering captivating performances against top-notch competitors.
Regrettably, all good things must come to an end, and for Sung Jung, this conclusion arrived during his recent bout against former champion Max Holloway. Their showdown headlined UFC Singapore on August 26.
In the third round, Holloway sealed the match with a remarkable overhand that swiftly incapacitated Sung Jung. Following this intense exchange, Sung Jung officially announced his retirement.
In a touching tribute to Sung Jung’s retirement, the audience honored him by playing the iconic Zombie song by The Cranberries. He removed his gloves and bowed in the octagon before leaving. Sung Jung retired with a commendable record of 18 wins and 7 losses.
However, a minor incident marred this emotional moment. As Sung Jung walked backstage, a fan seized one of his gloves from his left hand, while he flung the other into the crowd. Sung Jung was disheartened as he had intended to preserve these gloves as cherished mementos of his illustrious career.
Recently, Sung Jung shared heartwarming news on his Youtube channel. He revealed that a Korean fan living overseas had retrieved his gloves. Once the fan returns to South Korea, he has pledged to visit Sung Jung’s gym and return the glove.
In Sung Jung’s words, “Luckily, the glove that I threw into the crowd was picked up by a Korean fan. The Korean fan reached out to me; he actually lives overseas. So when he comes back, he promises to drop by at my gym and return the glove. I am deeply grateful and will give a gift in return.”
But that’s not all. Sung Jung had another pleasant surprise to share. He disclosed that he had received another pair of gloves, sent as a gift by his former opponent Max Holloway.
“The most important thing I want to mention today is before my retirement glove was returned to me, another great gift found its way to my gym. These gloves were sent to my gym. Do you recognize them? Some of you might have already guessed, these gloves are taped red. Max Holloway sent me his gloves as a gift,” Sung Jung happily announced.