What’s next for Korean Zombie and Frankie Edgar after UFC Busan?

By Cole Shelton - December 23, 2019

Over the weekend, “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung fought at home in the main event of UFC Busan. He took on short-notice replacement opponent Frankie Edgar. It was a critical fight for both men as the winner would be well-positioned for a fight with new featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.

Frankie Edgar, The Korean Zombie

In the end, it was the Korean Zombie who got it done as he became just the second person to finish Edgar. He rocked “The Answer” numerous times and earned a first-round TKO win. Following UFC Busan, here is what we think should be next for Jung and Edgar.

Korean Zombie

The Korean Zombie had a great 2019 as he earned a knockout win over Renato Moicano in under a minute and now a TKO win over Frankie Edgar. Many believe he has done enough to earn the next title shot, but he did lose to Yair Rodriguez last year and there is the talk of an immediate rematch for Max Holloway and Volkanovski. So, it appears Jung may need one more win. He should seek that win against Brian Ortega.

Ortega was the Korean Zombie’s original opponent for this event but he pulled out with a knee injury. Although he is recovering, the Korean Zombie revealed he is set for eye surgery so both are on the shelf right now. Meaning the timeframe may line up for a mid-2020 scrap. The two also went back-and-forth in interviews in the lead up to this fight. So, the storyline is there to re-book the bout.

Frankie Edgar

Frankie Edgar went into this fight with another one already booked. He was expected to make his bantamweight debut against Cory Sandhagen at UFC Raleigh on Jan. 25.

Yet, after a TKO loss, it seems highly unlikely he will be able to turn around in a month. So, depending on what the UFC wants and if Edgar does indeed want to go to bantamweight, a fight with Sandhagen no longer makes sense as The Answer is on a two-fight losing streak.

His next fight should be against someone lower in the rankings at bantamweight and Rob Font is a perfect opponent. Font is on a two-fight winning streak and is one of the sleepers at 135 pounds and should he beat Edgar, it would be the win he needs to push him into the top-five and earn a big fight. But, if the former UFC lightweight champion wins, he cements himself as a top-10 bantamweight. Regardless, it is a win-win for the UFC.

What do you think should be next for The Korean Zombie and Frankie Edgar after UFC Busan?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 12/23/2019. 


Topics:

Chan Sung Jung 'The Korean Zombie' Frankie Edgar UFC