'Korean Zombie' after UFC 163 injury: 'I would love to get a rematch'

After a dislocated shoulder brought about a fourth-round TKO loss to UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, Chan Sung Jung wants a rematch.

However, the title challenger knows he probably won’t get one.

In the headliner of Saturday’s UFC 163 pay-per-view event at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena, “The Korean Zombie” proved a handful for the usually fleet-footed champion. As the fight reached its midway appoint, Jung became more aggressive with his attacks and put Aldo on the defensive. But while winging a right hand in the fourth round, Jung’s shoulder dislocated, and Aldo pounced.

Jung attempted to reset it himself, to no avail.

“I felt like my strategy was starting to work, in particular in the fourth round,” the Korean fighter said through a translator. “I was starting to turn up the intensity.

“Unfortunately, when I separated my shoulder, I tried to put it back in myself, but it didn’t work, and I think Jose noticed my shoulder was out, and he kicked me three times really hard. So unfortunately, the shoulder was not able to be put back in.”

Jung winced in pain as nearly everyone in the arena realized what had happened (check out the Aldo vs. Jung video highlights), and though he tried to fix it himself, he clearly was in trouble. Aldo, in securing his seventh straight UFC/WEC title defense, immediately unloaded a barrage of kicks and punches to force the referee’s intervention before Jung ever got the chance.

Heading into the fight, where the challenger was a massive underdog to the long-reigning champion, pre-fight marketing materials focused on Jung’s ability to absorb and push forward despite mounting punishment. However, he said he simply couldn’t overcome the shoulder injury, which left him grunting and moaning in pain after the fight’s stoppage.

“It was really painful when it first separated, but they took us back to the medical room, and they popped it back into place,” said Jung, who attended the post-fight press conference sporting an arm sling and the customary cuts and bruises. “It feels OK.”

A time table wasn’t given for Jung’s recovery, and he’ll likely need to consult with additional doctors to get even a general idea. But his performance against Aldo, who was slowed by an early-fight foot injury, convinced Jung he’s ready for another shot at the belt, though he knows it’s unlikely to happen in a division that’s quickly become of the UFC’s (and MMA’s) most competitive.

So Jung, who suffered his first loss in four UFC fights, is resigned to the fact that he’ll need to work his way back up.

“As far as the rematch goes, I would love to get a rematch,” he said. “I would love to ask for a rematch, but I think there are other people that are waiting in line, and I probably have to get a couple more wins in the division before they’ll give me another shot at the title.”

For complete coverage of UFC 163, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.