Chan Sung Jung awarded his BJJ black belt after unanimous decision win vs. Dan Ige
There are so many similarities between the fighting styles of Chan Sung Jung and Dan Ige that it was hard to pick between them. When the fight unfolded, it held to form.
It wasn’t the all-time classic that their aggressive approaches suggested it might become, but it was a fun fight that Jung pulled out by a narrow margin.
Judges scored the bout 49-46 twice and 48-47 for Jung, also known as “The Korean Zombie,” giving him a unanimous decision victory. Yahoo Sports scored it 49-46 for Jung.
Jung used a lot of leg kicks that banged up Ige’s leg and his grappling ability to pull out the bout.
It never really turned into the firefight that Zombie’s fights have become known for, but it may have been because of the stakes and the position both men were in. Zombie entered the fight ranked fourth in the deep and talented featherweight division, while Ige was eighth.
Jung was coming off of a loss to Brian Ortega and couldn’t afford another loss with so many elite challengers. He fought smart and didn’t take a lot of unnecessary chances, and was in command most of the way.
Jung momentarily dropped Ige with an overhand right at the start of the second round, but Ige bounced up quickly. Jung worked for a long stretch in the third to get a rear-naked choke but Ige, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, was able to defend.
Ige was more aggressive in the final two rounds, particularly the fifth when he appeared to know he needed to pull it out to win. He hurt Jung at one point, but Jung not only has a good chin, but he fights back harder when hurt.
He caught Ige with a knee that switched the momentum. He tried again for a rear-naked choke but ran out of time before the bell sounded.
Despite not getting the submission, Jung was awarded his black belt in BJJ following the important victory.
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