Max Holloway and The Korean Zombie will go toe-to-toe this weekend in Singapore.
Holloway returns to the cage following his unanimous decision win against Arnold Allen in April. He’ll face Chan Sung Jung, The Korean Zombie, who returns following his fourth-round knockout loss to featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
For those eager to watch this exciting matchup and all others this weekend, make sure to tune into UFC Fight Night 225, set to broadcast on ESPN+ at a special time in the United States. The main card begins at 8 a.m. ET with prelims getting started at 5 a.m. ET on Saturday morning.
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Betting Odds
Max Holloway is a heavy favorite ahead of this weekend’s main event in Singapore.
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Staff Predictions
Braeden Arbour
This is a great fight against two very experienced fighters. The Korean Zombie (Chan Sung Jung) for a long time built a reputation as a brawler in a lot of fans’ eyes, hence the name. However, it is clear that although he can brawl he does not have to, he has some of the most accurate and technical boxing skills as well as a very educated jiu jitsu game. Zombie tends to do his best work when he is boxing with counter combinations, he is very good at slipping to counter uppercuts and hooks, and then chaining on shots, or using the same dip to initiate a takedown. Compared to many of his opponents, Zombie does not hold much of a speed advantage and this is the same against Holloway, what he does have is timing and three inches of reach. However, where he most often finds confidence in his ability to take a shot or lose ground in output in order to find that one sweet KO sequence, this trade becomes null if he cannot hurt his opponents, and instead ends up taking unnecessary damage.
Max Holloway so far has shown maybe the best chin in UFC history. It’s never a good idea to bet all your chips on chin and durability, but if anyone can wade through some of that danger from Zombie it is Holloway. What Holloway has in abundance is cardio, rhythm and output. He will be at a power disadvantage but his ability to switch stance and use in and out movement to land and evade is the perfect recipe to beat the Zombie. He utilizes a better kicking game, and even though giving up reach, has the height advantage allowing him to slip back from counter shots after landing.
Of the two men, The Korean Zombie is the more proficient jiu-jitsu player. He has shown a wider variety of submission offense, as well as good control, most recently against Holloway’s fellow Hawaiian, Dan Ige, before his title shot last year. Holloway has improved wrestling, but what sticks out are his trips and guillotine choke. Holloway has 84% takedown defense to Zombie’s 47% takedown accuracy, meaning it will be a tough go for Zombie to initiate a grappling exchange if it comes down to it, and the initial threat of the guillotine adds to that risk. Overall I do think that Holloway can avoid the grappling of The Korean Zombie, and use superior movement, speed and establish his rhythm in the striking. This all makes for the most difficult kind of fighter to consistently counter punch, which is The Korean Zombie’s main and potentially only route to victory. I think Holloway will be able to use kicks to stay outside when he wants and float in and out to box, and ultimately accumulate damage on Zombie.
Pick: Max Holloway to win (-740 at BetUS)
Michael Pounders
Come Saturday night, now 31, Max “Blessed” Holloway will grace the caged canvas for the 28th time in the UFC. He is arguably the best fighter who isn’t a champion in the entire promotion as evident by his #13 pound-for-pound ranking.
Holloway holds records for most significant strikes landed in his career, coming in with 3,122. For context, second and third place are at 1820 and 1801 respectively. Holloway also holds the record for most significant strikes landed in a single fight with 578, with second place coming in with 430. Possibly more impressive, though, is that Max ranks 1, 3, 5, and 6 on that list. Those statistics are shared in part to give one of the best fighters of this generation his well-deserved flowers but also to illustrate just how special of a fighter Holloway is.
“Blessed” is undoubtedly the best boxer in the UFC with the hand speed, volume, precision, dynamism, and toughness that accumulate to create such a fighter. Most of Holloway’s fights go the same way. From the first to the last second, Max takes the center of the octagon and rarely moves backward, instead he will stubbornly hold his ground or walk forward while unleashing unmatched volume with a variety of endless combinations.
As the fight progresses, Holloway only improves. His volume increases, his power accumulates, and his determination to win amplifies. He has one of the best cardio tanks in the UFC and knows how to weaponize that cardio along with his pressure. Beyond his pressure, cardio, and striking, the final hallmark of Holloway is his Hawaiian spirit and subsequent durability. With the likes of Dober, Luque, and Ferguson going away,
Holloway sits atop the mountain as likely the most durable fighter on the roster. Just another of his many accomplishments. Holloway has only been finished once- submitted by Poirier in 2012- despite absorbing punishment from the division’s elite for years. If there is a gap in the storied career and game of “Blessed” it is his inability or refusal to check leg kicks. Because he stands with such a wide and traditional boxing stance, Holloway carries much of his weight on his front foot which makes him more susceptible to the calf kick. But, that Hawaiian spirit yet again shines through because while Max has been hurt via leg kicks, he has always pushed through the pain and come out stronger on the other side.
A warrior worthy of sharing the octagon with Holloway, “The Korean Zombie,” Chan Sung Jung, now 36, steps in for possibly the last time in the UFC. There have not been any substantial rumors suggesting that Zombie will retire after this fight; but, given his age, severe unlikelihood of another title shot, and the wars he’s been a part of, a retirement would not surprise many.
Just like Holloway, Jung’s hallmark and the origin of his nickname is his durability and willingness to continue fighting no matter the fire coming back his way. He will, sometimes to his own detriment, walk forward like a zombie through hell in a gasoline suit to try and land his own combinations. That determination and durability not only earned him the Korean Zombie nickname but propelled him to the top of one of the best divisions in MMA.
Each time he steps into the cage, Jung’s opponent better be ready for war. Jung will pressure forward, throwing heavy and frequent combinations intended to do damage with each blow. He can push a high pace for 5 championship rounds and continue to do damage from the first to the last minute of a fight. His striking is technical, powerful, and highly successful when offensive.
But, his defensive striking, skewed because of his willingness to eat shots to move forward, leaves a lot to be desired. Jung tends to plod forward, moving linearly and rarely cutting angles, with minimal head movement. His goal is not primarily to protect himself; but, rather, get into a position where he can hurt his opponent regardless of the strikes coming back his way. His chin and toughness, both may be starting to fade with age, have allowed him to fight with this style to great success.
The other, often-forgotten aspect of Zombie’s game, that elevated his standing in the UFC is his grappling. While Jung’s wrestling is infrequent and only partially successful, his grappling, scrambling, and submission game are often underappreciated attributes. If he hurts and opponent, something he’s done in most of his fights, Jung is fully capable of following his opponent down and finding a submission on the mat. While Jung hasn’t won via submission since 2012, the skillset helps open up opportunities for victories.
Holloway is a -800 for a reason, he is simply better than Zombie everywhere. Both men are insanely durable, have cardio for days, are high level strikers, and have enough high level experience for two careers. However, in each of those categories, Holloway is better. Holloway has never been knocked out, while Jung was TKO’d in his last fight and has been finished by strikes 4 times. While Jung can push a high-octane pace for 5 rounds, Max has nearly every output record on the books.
While Jung has a striking resume worthy of admiration, Holloway is the best boxer on the roster. And while Jung has been in there with the division’s best, Holloway is one of the division’s best. In short, Holloway will win this fight. The question becomes, how to bet it. My favorite bet on the card is a multi-unit parlay of Max and Chikadze. However, as a straight play, I like Holloway by decision.
I think we’ll see a fight similar to Holloway v Kattar so a stoppage is likely going to be determined by the ref’s subjective perspective. I think Holloway will hurt Zombie enough to warrant a stoppage, but I also expect Jung’s durability to be on full display and for him to continue fighting regardless. Therefore, because I expect a finish vs. decision to be around 50/50, I want plus-money on the prop play. That lands me on Holloway by decision.
Best Bet: Holloway to win by decision (+165 at BetUS)