The Korean Zombie has risen.
TKZ pic.twitter.com/OwpYZknnUb
— JayDee Garcia (@Hereditary_Funk) February 5, 2017
Returning from a nearly four-year layoff to compete against top ten featherweight Dennis Bermudez, Chan Sung Jung shook off the ring rust- and a cracking right hand from Dennis “the Menace”- to land an uppercut with a power featherweight hasn’t felt since Conor McGregor departed its shores. The Korean Zombie was McGregor-esque in his follow-up, too, stepping in to finish his foe with clinical calm. It was enough to convince Herb Dean to interject, and enough to convince us that featherweight is suddenly a whole lot brighter.
Full UFC Fight Night 104 results and play-by-play here
Dana White seems to agree, and with Jung at the helm, plans on making a return to Korea.
Dana’s own words, from MMAFighting.com:
“Very impressive, and he pumped some excitement into UFC Korea. (UFC Owner) Ari (Emanuel) and I have been talking about going to Korea, so I think tonight he sealed the deal.”
With Doo Ho Choi also in the spotlight after his war with Cub Swanson, and the Stun Gun Dong Hyun Kim on a three-fight winning streak, the time certainly seems right to showcase the homegrown stars in Korea. For my money, the opponents to book are Cub Swanson opposite the Korean Zombie, and Jason Knight opposite Doo Ho Choi, for guaranteed fireworks.
Dennis Bermudez was classy in defeat:
Congrats to @KoreanZombieMMA .... not my night. I'm sure we'll met again.
— Dennis Bermudez (@MenaceBermudez) February 5, 2017
It could very easily have been his fight- he buzzed Chan Sung Jung with this one:
HUGE right by @MenaceBermudez! #UFCHouston pic.twitter.com/Wedr1TcpUN
— UFC (@ufc) February 5, 2017
Did you catch Nate Diaz’s official response to Dana’s queries?
Lol at your fight...
— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) February 4, 2017
Guess that settles that.
Jessica Andrade and Angela Hill went at it hammer and tongs in the main card opener, with Andrade out-lasting Hill for a unanimous decision victory, securing the next title shot with the sensational win.
Hill, the Invicta FC champion, was making her promotional return, and though she didn’t win, she did an extra $50,000 and likely another bout within the promotion.
FOTN BITCHES!!!!! #UFCHOUSTON #BestConsolationPrizeEver
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) February 5, 2017
This was a real sequence that happened. I had to watch the clock in the bottom left to be sure
!!! pic.twitter.com/AHTZVYj5gG
— Jessica Hudnall (@LegKickTKO) February 5, 2017
That wasn’t the only great strawweight action from the card:
Ohhh! Nice right by @FeliceHerrig! #UFCHouston pic.twitter.com/szEygMJ78a
— UFC (@ufc) February 5, 2017
Watch the full highlights here
This was a night of underdogs, and James Vick hit this knee just before tapping Abel Trujillo:
Beautiful Knee by @JamesVickMMA! #UFCHouston pic.twitter.com/1jjbbE4j4O
— UFC (@ufc) February 5, 2017
Ovince St. Preux came agonizingly close to finishing his fight in the third round before losing a controversial split decision.
Going for the finish!!! @003_OSP #UFCHouston pic.twitter.com/XFv1Eo9Uld
— UFC (@ufc) February 5, 2017
This is why I, who live in Houston, was at home recapping the fights instead of downtown watching them in person:
Pulling into downtown for #UFCHouston. Damn, son. Look at those parking rates! pic.twitter.com/kAAAqdtrd7
— John Morgan (@MMAjunkieJohn) February 4, 2017
Been there: (no I haven’t)
When the drugs kick in. #UFCHouston pic.twitter.com/Q02L90f8vz
— no neck Pablo! (@WallyFrogmore) February 5, 2017
This was freaky. Look at his arm.
OHHH MY KNEE!!! @War_Khalil #UFCHouston pic.twitter.com/HLENLFFxYR
— #UFCHouston (@ufc) February 5, 2017
Non-UFC Action
Fight Night 104 wasn’t the only thing to go down yesterday.
SATO BY KO #Pancrase284 pic.twitter.com/wePFIZUL9A
— MMA GUERILLA ®™ (@BloodsportTV) February 5, 2017
Henrique Souza KO's Felipe Melo in the main event at NCE 10 in Rio de Janeiro. pic.twitter.com/NhfGNna0Sq
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) February 5, 2017
I don’t know if I want to know:
Akhmat appears to be starting off with a duel pic.twitter.com/nqHGCW2AT3
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) February 4, 2017
Well, shit. Here comes mister party pooper. #Akhmat pic.twitter.com/VpChbUgSMs
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) February 4, 2017
If at first you don’t succeed, kick kick again
GOT DAMN. Folded up. Mukesh Gora head kick KO's Sameer Shaikh at #SFL pic.twitter.com/pm6H1OAYke
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) February 4, 2017
Aaron Pico, one of the best prospects this sport has ever not seen yet, will actually debut this summer. What weight class will he be in again?
Feeling so good about my recovery and training! Can wait to make my debut @BellatorMMA this summer. Who would you like to see me smash? pic.twitter.com/knl6gSLVpY
— Aaron Pico (@AaronPicoUSA) February 4, 2017
Cody Garbrandt compares his left hook to Mike Tyson’s:
Enjoy your Superbowl Sunday, Maniacs!