'Korean Zombie' sidelined two years for required military office work

Chan Sung Jung has been ordered to complete mandatory military service in his native South Korean. It begins next week, and as a result, the 27-year-old won’t participate in any MMA bouts for the next two years.

Injuries have kept Jung (13-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) out of competition for the majority of the past two years. He’s fought just once since May 2012, but in the next two years, the UFC featherweight will spend even less time in the octagon.

Jung announced the news Monday afternoon on his official Facebook account, and his manager Brian Rhee shared additional information with MMAjunkie.

While Jung will become an active member of the South Korean military on Oct. 20, he won’t be required to travel into the field. According to his manager, Jung’s history of injuries prompted officials to assign him to a government office, where he’ll spend the next two years.

“The Korean Zombie” was scheduled to fight Akira Corassani at UFC Fight Night 53 earlier this month in what would have been his final bout before beginning his military obligations.

He was forced out of the contest due to an injury and hoped he could delay his duties long enough to participate in another bout. However, according to Rhee, the government was unwilling to oblige.

By the time Jung returns, it’ll be more than three years since UFC 163, where he challenged current UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo for the belt. Jung was unsuccessful in his bid to capture UFC gold, but he’s still one of the most beloved fighters on the organization’s roster.

Jung won’t have to come back to the sport completely void of preparation, though. According toRhee, Jung won’t be required to live on the military base. He’s set to serve his time while living at home, which is good news for multiple reasons.

First, Jung will be able to spend time with his newborn child, who is expected to arrive this week. Second, he’s still allowed to train MMA every day. He just can’t participate in any type of professional competition.

Every South Korean male is required to serve a two-year term with the military. Dong Hyun Kim, a UFC welterweight from the country, already completed his stint, which fortunately came before his career a professional fighter.

In his statement, Jung thanked his fans and UFC executives Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta for their support as he prepares for his service.

For more on the UFC’s schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.