Korean Zombie Jung Chan-sung (38) posted on social media on Sunday, May 18 (Korean time), “I think I can deliver good news next week! Awesome news!” he posted.
Jung Chan-sung retired from active duty in August 2023 after playing as the best MMA fighter of all time in Korea, who has won two UFC featherweight (66kg) title matches. Since April 2013, he has been the leader of the “Korean Zombie MMA” gym and since June 2024, he has also been the head of the mixed martial arts group Z-Fight Night.
As a result of MK Sports coverage, the “jackpot news” is a participation in Season 9 of the Contender Series from ZFN. UFC President and CEO Dana White (56, USA) personally launched the Contender Series (DWCS) in 2017 and is looking for prospects.
A total of 287 people were selected, including Ko Seok-hyun (32). In front of President Dana White, 384 games of 768 people (including duplicates) were aired to viewers. The probability of entering the UFC in the Contender Series increases to 37.4% and 74.7% if they win.
Yoo Sang-hoon (34, Daegu Metropolitan City Hall), a silver medalist in Wushu Santa at the 17th Incheon Summer Asian Games, participated as a lightweight (70kg) in the 10th week of the 2019 season.
Ko Seok-hyun, an 82kg gold medalist in the Combat category at the 41st FIAS World Championships, entered the UFC in September 2024 with a unanimous decision victory in the welterweight (77kg) in the fourth week of the 8th season of the Contender Series.
“Sambo” is a Russian martial art that feels like a mixture of judo and wrestling, and “Kombat” is the most similar three-bo event to mixed martial arts. Ko Seok-hyun is also the first to compete in the main event of the Contender Series.
Cedric Dumas of Canada said, “The 9th season of the Contender Series will begin in Week 1 on August 13, 2025. A former ZFN player said, “It has been advantageous for Koreans to play in the weight class that they have never played in DWCS so far.”
Cedric Dumas of French-speaking Quebec, Canada, is a mixed martial arts source who has stood out since Q4 2023, unveiling his joining in Week 4 of the eighth season of the Ko Suk-hyun Contender Series for the first time in the world. “UFC is a heavyweight who invests a lot in DWCS,” he said, explaining a player from ZFN.
The 3rd Korean player in the Contender Series became the national team champion in July 2021 and defended the title in March 2025. The president of the large company approved the UFC challenge through a press conference, saying, “Even if I come down from the throne and leave on my own because I want to terminate the contract, I have done well enough.”
ZFN 2, held at 7A Hall of KINTEX Exhibition Hall 2 in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do in December 2024, was broadcast live to more than 200 countries around the world through the global OTT service UFC Fight Pass. The third Korean player in the Contender Series won by unanimous decision.
Cedric Dumas said, “When we won the domestic group, it was considered high value and level, but after fighting with a higher level of competitors, the reputation fell,” pointing out the problems that the 3rd Korean player in the Contender Series exposed in ZFN 2.
“Since when has KO been a must for MMA? “I couldn’t knock out my opponent, but I gained a lot and learned a lot by playing 5 minutes×3 rounds of ZFN 2 until the end, and my skills improved,” he said, disagreeing with the devaluation.
MK Sports will report on an interview with the nation’s top expert, who was the head of a group in which the 3rd Korean player in the Contender Series won the championship after the official announcement of ZFN CEO Chung Chan-sung.
Meanwhile, in Shanghai, the Chinese Performance Institute, the Road to UFC Season 4 quarter-final of the Asian MMA talent discovery project will be held on May 22-23. As the leader of the Korean Zombie MMA, CEO Chung Chan-sung will play the quarterfinals of lightweight (70kg) by his student Park Jae-hyun on the spot.
Park Jae-hyun is the second Road to UFC tournament challenge since the 2023 Season 2 semifinals, when he joined as a substitute. RTU Season 4 aims to qualify for the global No. 1 group regular contract, in which five Korean players are given to the winner.
[Kang Daeho, MK Sports Reporter]
