Chan Sung Jung has broken his silence following his shocking loss to Brian Ortega.
During the main event of UFC Fight Island 6, the featherweight was dominated by the California throughout all five-rounds, surprising the MMA community as many viewed Ortega as the underdog coming into the fight.
It appears that a spinning elbow strike from Ortega in round two was the culprit behind Jung’s lackluster performance in the later rounds as “The Korean Zombie” revealed during his statement on Instagram that he didn’t remember fighting the next three rounds (Transcript courtesy of MMA Junkie):
I don’t remember the third, fourth and fifth rounds. I can’t remember, but it’s amazing to see how I’m fighting..haha.. I have to find out why I lost when I lose the game. Right, I’m just a fool. Ortega was so good… I just feel so embarrassed about me now. Still, thank you for supporting me a lot. I’m sorry.
In a second post, Jung revealed that he didn’t mentally get back into the contest until late in the fifth round. The featherweight promises to better prepare for his next fight, especially after the third round:
When the fifth round was about one minute left, my mind returned. So, at the end of the fifth round, I knew if the fourth round would start. Rounds 3, 4, and 5 were just… fights. Obviously, I was expecting to be South Po, and I prepared a lot, and Eddie coach also ordered properly.. Gym left-handed players are using the technique of harassing left-handed athletes. But… haha If I play again, I want to prepare for the third round.
There’s no word on when Jung will step back into the octagon. Despite losing to Ortega this past Saturday, the 33-year-old is still ranked in the top five of the featherweight division so he’ll have plenty of options to choose from. As for Ortega, he’s expected to challenge Alexander Volkanovski for the 145-pound belt next.