Korean Zombie likely out for a year
It was a long time between appearances for Chan Sung Jung. It will be a long time until his next one, too.
On Wednesday, Jung’s manager Brian “Shug Rhee” told FOX Sports that the “Korean Zombie” will likely be sidelined for one year after undergoing surgeries to address injuries to both his eye and shoulder.
The news isn’t what he hoped for, especially coming on the heels of a 15-month stretch recovering from yet another injury, one that required surgery on his left shoulder. Within the last few years, Jung (13-4) has also had surgery on his nose and suffered a hand injury.
Jung suffered his latest woes during his UFC 163 featherweight championship matchup against Jose Aldo on Aug. 3, fractured an orbital in his left eye and separating his right shoulder.
The former injury occurred roughly midway through the bout, and as the fight wore on, Jung could be seen blinking in a futile attempt to clear his vision. The latter one occurred in the fourth round as Jung was throwing a punch. He tried to pop his shoulder back into place but was unable to do so, and Aldo swarmed him with strikes for a technical knockout.
Jung also hurt his right foot during that match, but that injury did not require surgery. He has already voiced a desire for a rematch upon his return.
The 26-year-old is considered one of the most exciting fighters on the UFC roster, with Fight of the Year nominees in two of the last three years.
The champion Aldo only fared marginally better than the challenger, suffering a broken foot that is likely to keep him out of action until at least early 2014. He also had to spend some time in a Rio de Janeiro hospital two days after the fight after suffering through a bout of kidney stones.
