Countdown begins

Jung Chan-sung roars after knocking out Mark Hominick at the UFC 140 in Toronto, Canada, in this Dec. 10, 2011, file photo. / USA TODAY

Jung to take on champ Aldo in Brazil

By Jung Min-ho

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight Jung Chan-sung, 26, better known as “The Korean Zombie,” will face Brazilian champion Jose Aldo, 26, Sunday at UFC 163 in Brazil.

If he wins, Jung will not only become the first Asian fighter to win a UFC championship but also the second 145-pound title holder in the promotion’s history.

“I'm coming off the most intense training session of my career. I have arrived here after a long flight, and my heart yearns for a victory,” Chung said during a press conference Friday at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro.

He also expressed his wish to contribute to someday bringing the championships to Korea.

Aldo has 22 wins with just a single defeat and is considered among the best pound-to-pound fighter alongside Anderson Silva and Jon Jones. His past performances proved his combination of skill, speed and knockout power is dominant over all featherweight contenders.

Judged by any standard, Jung will have little chance of beating the champ; thus, it is little surprise that few expect Jung’s victory, especially in hostile territory.

But what Jung wants to prove is that he knows how to upset the odds, and no matter how good the champion’s past performances are, they can change at a moment’s notice _ Chris Weidman proved this recently by putting an end to “invincible” Silva’s era last month.

Jung, who has been an underdog at every UFC bout since 2011, has indeed proved that in his own right by defeating Leonard Garcia, Mark Hominick and Dustin Poirier.

There is no denying that Aldo is a dominant champion who has few weaknesses in his style _ his striking is almost flawless and his grappling skills are also superb even though most opponents get knocked out before they see them.

The inaugural UFC champion in the division has been undefeated since 2005. By statistics, no one can beat him. If he loses to anyone by any means, it will be a big surprise.

Does Jung have a chance to dethrone the kingpin? He perhaps has the best chance among the contenders.

One of Jung’s best qualities is his unpredictability. He has showed his willingness to try risky attacks from spinning fist strikes and flying knees when they are least expected.

Jung is the first UFC fighter to earn a submission win by a twister, which won multiple awards for Submission of the Year in 2011, in his first UFC match against Garcia.

He also took the record of the quickest knock-out after connecting a right punch with Hominick’s face in just seven seconds.

Facing Poirier, Jung constantly went for a submission attempt. He did not hold on to his dominant position like many others. The unusual strategy handed Jung another win as Poirier eventually gave in to his triangle choke hold.

Again, Jung might be able to faze Aldo with something that he won’t be prepared for.

Just like Aldo, Jung is a dangerous striker, who’s especially dangerous in brawls.

While Aldo is a laser accurate striker, Jung is very good at making his fights into wild punch-exchanges.

Jung will be willing to take Aldo to the mat where he believes he has the edge in grappling skills.

He has yet to be taken down inside the Octagon, although he almost was against Poirier, but Jung quickly reversed the position a couple of times in the match.

Aldo is known as a decent grappler but perhaps not as much as Jung. In fact, Luciano Azevedo, who is the only man to beat Aldo in a professional MMA match in 2005, advised that the ground is Aldo’s weakness, noting “he’s too good in the standup.”

Either way, it will be a tough fight for Jung.

Despite heavily-lopsided predictions about the fight, however, it is drawing massive attention.

After all, there is no one like “The Korean Zombie,” and that is what makes this fight interesting.