Tom Szczerbowski-USA Today Sports
UFC 163 takes place this weekend, which features an exciting featherweight championship between current champ Jose Aldo and rising star Chan Sung Jung or better known as The Korean Zombie. In Aldo, you have one of the greatest fighters the UFC has to offer. His kicking game is lethal and he can knock out man out that decides to stand and trade with him.
His takedown defense is also top-notch, which was on full display in his bouts with Kenny Florian and Chad Mendes. If there is a fighter right now that has the chance to move up in weight and hold two belts simultaneously, it’s Aldo.
In Jung, you have a fighter that is not afraid to stand and trade leather. It’s this lack of fear that makes him a fan favorite, and certainly a fighter that has garnered a lot of attention over the past couple of years. A huge part of Jung’s game is his technical grappling, which is very dynamic. Just look at his submission win over Leonard Garcia. Jung was able to lock up a beautiful twister, which has never been done in the UFC up until that point.
So does Jung have a shot at dethroning Aldo, who is considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in MMA? Absolutely. If you look at Jung’s career, he has always been an exciting fighter, win or lose. He threw caution to the wind in his first bout with Garcia, which won Fight-Of-The-Year back in 2010 under the WEC promotion.
But lately, he seems to be fighting with a lot of technique and patience, especially when the fight hits the mat. This is evident in his bouts against Garcia, the rematch, and Dustin Poirier. In both bouts, he was able to show his technical dominance, transitioning nicely from half guard to side control. He has a lot of submissions at his disposal, which bodes well for him heading into UFC 163, where he gets the chance to seize his dreams of becoming a champion.
It all depends on how Jung approaches this fight. Does he go for broke and simply exchange with Aldo? Or does he go for a more strategic approach, utilizing his ground game? The former could prove to be costly, as Aldo can end the fight with one punch. But this could be said about Jung, who was able to knock out Mark Hominick within seven seconds.
If Jung can take a measured approach standing and utilize his dominant grappling, he may very well be the next featherweight champion of the world.
