UFC's Korean Zombie Retires After Knockout Loss to Max Holloway at Fight Night Event

Chan Sung Jung, better known to fight fans as The Korean Zombie, announced his retirement from MMA at the age of 36 following a loss to Max Holloway at UFC Fight Night in Singapore on Saturday.

Jung, who lost to Holloway by third-round knockout, left his gloves in the middle of the Octagon, which is symbolic of retirement:

Per ESPN's Marc Raimondi, The Korean Zombie made it official in his post-fight interview, saying: "I'm gonna stop fighting. I always aim to be champion. I'm not here to be ranked third, fourth or fifth. I really believed I could beat him. I don't think I have the opportunity anymore."

The South Korean fighter turned pro in 2007 and had been fighting under the UFC umbrella since 2011.

Jung went 17-8 in 25 career fights, winning eight of them by submission, six by knockout and three by decision.

After starting his UFC career 6-2 with wins over the notable fighters such as Dustin Poirier, Dennis Bermudez and Frankie Edgar, The Korean Zombie began to struggle, losing three of his last four bouts.

Jung fell to Brian Ortega in 2020 and bounced back with a win over Dan Ige in 2021. That win led to one of the biggest fights of The Korean Zombie's career at UFC 273 in April 2022.

The Korean Zombie challenged Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC featherweight title, marking only his second UFC championship opportunity. The first time, Jung fell to José Aldo at UFC 163 in 2013.

At UFC 273, Volkanovski vanquished The Korean Zombie by fourth-round technical knockout, denying him gold once again.

The Korean Zombie was largely outclassed by Volkanovski and was rocked by some big shots in Saturday's loss to Holloway, which may have contributed to his decision to step away from the sport.