EXCLUSIVE | “The Korean Zombie” doesn’t anticipate a rematch with Jose Aldo

Earlier this month, Chan Sung Jung – more widely known as “The Korean Zombie” – returned from a lengthy hiatus to score a blistering, first-round knockout win over a game Dennis Bermudez. With this win, the resurgent fan favorite was immediately talked about as a potential featherweight title challenger.

Jung, of course, is quite familiar with reigning featherweight champion Jose Aldo. The pair fought back in 2013, in the main event of UFC 163. On that night, Aldo came out on top, capitalizing on a Korean Zombie shoulder injury to earn a TKO win.

While the thought of an Zombie-Aldo rematch is certainly interesting, however, the Zombie himself doesn’t really see it happening. Instead, he expects Aldo to head north to the lightweight division in search of a rematch with Conor McGregor, who he lost to back in 2015. The Korean explained this feeling in an interview with BJPenn.com’s Chris Taylor.

“I think that Jose will move up to lightweight to try to get revenge against Conor,” he said. “As a fan of both fighters, that’s a move I’d like to see happen. I really respect Jose, too, so it’s not really a fight I’d be that anxious to get.”

While the Korean Zombie isn’t expecting a rematch with Aldo, however, he’s confident he could find a way to win if the opportunity presented itself.

“If we did fight again, I’d be confident that I would win. Although I was losing the last fight when I separated my shoulder, things were going as we had hoped.”

“The strategy for the first fight was to just get through the first 3 rounds and really turn things up and get the finish in the championship rounds. I wasn’t going out to win on points for that fight. My goal was to get the finish. At the end of the 3rd, I could feel that he was getting tired. He was breathing really heavily when we were in the clinch, so I knew the game plan was working. I always believe in my ability to finish the fight, but with a guy who’s as skilled and experienced as Jose Aldo, you have to pick you time. But, unfortunately, the injury ended the fight.”

“I haven’t really thought about a rematch, but if it did happen, one way or another, I’d find the answer up in the Octagon.”

The Korean Zombie then added that he holds no ill will toward Aldo for targeting his injured shoulder in their fight.

“By the way, a lot of people think that Jose was a jerk for attacking my shoulder after he saw that it was injured,” he said. “I have absolutely no ill will towards him for that [or anything]. This is fighting and that it what you’re supposed to do! “

How do you think the Korean Zombie would do in a rematch with Jose Aldo? Sound off, PENN Nation!

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 2/15/2017.