“Korean Zombie” Chan Sung-Jung Eyeing Summer Return

The "Korean Zombie" Chan Sung-Jung

Korean Zombie to Return Summer 2013

We haven't seen Chan Sung-Jung since his unforgettable victory over Dustin Poirier last May. Many were under the impression that the athleticism and well-rounded skills the Korean Zombie displayed to get his third straight win should have earned him a title shot.

An old shoulder injury begged to differ. Jung discovered he wasn't fit to compete while he was in the midst of convincing the UFC that he should be Jose Aldo's next opponent.

The Korean Zombie was forced to take a significant amount of time off to fully rehabilitate his shoulder. His training camp kept their mouths shut as to when Jung would be ready to fight once again.

Until now, that is. MMAFighting.com has gotten word from Jung's manager, Brian "Shug" Rhee, that Jung will most likely be back in the octagon as soon as this summer.

"Originally we were shooting for March as an ideal time to fight, but realistically, it's going to be more like May/June-ish. His rehab is going OK, but not as quickly as we were hoping. But he's on track to make a May/June return to the octagon." 

And if this is indeed the time in which Jung makes his comeback, will he get the title shot he rightfully deserves upon arrival?

Waiting until May or June might actually be a blessing in disguise for the Korean Zombie. Frankie Edgar will challenge Jose Aldo for the featherweight championship on February 2nd at UFC 156. It's safe to assume that unless some sort of injury is sustained, the winner of that bout would be ready to defend the title at least four or five months later. Rhee commented further on the possibility of Chan Sung-Jung returning just as the featherweight champion is prepared to fight for the second time this year.

"If the timing works out, we'd love to get a title shot. Fortunately, KZ doesn't seem to suffer from ring rust too badly, so [that's] not a big concern for us."

While Jung definitely deserves to fight for the title, there are a number of other surging featherweights who have also been racking up some impressive wins as of late. The winner of the featherweight battle this Saturday between top contenders Erik Koch and Ricardo Lamas will probably climb his way into the top 3 at 145 lbs.

Luckily for us, the Korean Zombie rarely turns down a fight, so even if he doesn't get an immediate title shot this summer, expect Jung to proudly use his next opponent to make a statement that a year away from the action has only made him hungrier for gold.