The Korean Zombie’s Return to the UFC

We’re on a five bet win streak in Main Event’s, picking each of Shevchenko, Ortiz, Rodriguez x2 and Nunes – let’s keep the winnings coming in this weekend at UFC Fight Night 104!

Chan Sung Jung vs. Dennis Bermudez

We’re on a five-win streak in Main Event’s, picking each of Nunes, Rodriguez x2, Sonnen and Shevchenko – let’s keep the streak alive this weekend at UFC Fight Night 104!

UFC fan favourite, Chan Sung Jung (better known as ‘The Korean Zombie’) returns to the octagon this weekend for the first time since August 2013 after serving a mandatory military commitment. His opponent, Dennis Bermudez, is a difficult task for anybody right now, let alone a fighter who hasn’t stepped inside the cage for over three years.

The Korean Zombie made a name for himself in the UFC by stunning fans in each of his first three fights, taking home performance of the night bonuses in all of them. It all began  he successfully tapped Leonard Garcia with a twister submission – the first of its kind in the UFC and a feat that has never been accomplished since. Next, The Korean Zombie knocked out Mark Hominick in just seven seconds after entering the fight as a heavy underdog. The hype train was already in full effect before dropping Dustin Poirier in the fourth round and putting him to sleep with a d’arce choke. His stunning run came to a disappointing end when his shoulder popped out in the fourth round against Jose Aldo, before Aldo swooped him to finish the fight.

His opponent at UFC Fight Night 104 is Dennis ‘The Menace’ Bermudez, a top ten prospect in the featherweight division. Bermudez’s resume demands respect, especially with wins over talented fighters such as Max Holloway and Jimmie Rivera, two guys that are rarely ever defeated. Bermudez is silky smooth and utilises quick footwork, head movement and elite wrestling to grind out impressive victories.

Preview and Prediction

Bermudez pushes a quick pace and likes to rush forward and create pressure behind a multitude of strikes. ‘The Menace’ has improved at moving his head off the centerline when throwing punches to ensure he isn’t there for the counter, something that historically didn’t exist in his game at all. Previously, Bermudez would get rocked by right hands every time he entered his opponents range. Jimmie Rivera and Clay Guida had success finding the short right hand on Bermudez’s chin.

This is a crucial element to this fight – as Chan Sung Jung waits for his opponent to engage so he can time punches straight down the line. The Korean Zombie has a significant reach advantage over Dennis Bermudez and this will be one of the most interesting facets of the fight, considering that Bermudez likes to rush in and the Korean Zombie likes to wait back patiently for his opponent to do so.

Another pivotal aspect of the fight is Dennis Bermudez’s wrestling ability and the potential for him to lay Chan Sung Jung out on his back, rendering him helpless. Sung Jung has shown excellent scramble ability in his previous fights and can quickly work for a submission, but the advantage on the ground is definitely in Bermudez’s favour.

Bermudez is a worthy favourite heading into this fight, primarily due to improvements to his head movement, lateral footwork and his high-level wrestling. However, I’m not comfortable taking him at the current odds and instead will be looking for value on the Korean Zombie who is still every chance to land one of his devastating right hands on Bermudez as he enters his range. The Korean Zombie will also slow the fight down to his pace, as he usually does, therefore disabling the ability for Bermudez to rush in and out with strikes.

https://twitter.com/JakeNicholsMMA/status/826039372310999041

There’s value in betting on Chan Sung Jung to win, and we’ll also be looking at the value from betting on Chan Sung Jung via KO/TKO.

Tip

Chan Sung Jung to Win
Sunday 4th February, 01:00 GMT
Odds: 2.50Bet €100 to win €2503/2Bet £100 to win £250+150Bet $100 to win $2501.50Bet HK$100 to win HK$2501.50Bet Rp100 to win Rp250-0.6667Bet RM100 to win RM250  –  William Hill