Chief among them is Chan Sung Jung, who hasn’t competed since 2013 after “The Korean Zombie” took time off from fighting following his loss to then-featherweight champion Jose Aldo — who also wants out of UFC — to serve in his country’s military.
And he already has an opponent in mind as he eyes a return to action later this year.
“For the past six months, there’s a fighter that I’ve been wanting to fight, B.J. Penn,” Jung said. “When the B.J. Penn (vs. Ricardo) Lamas fight was announced, I thought I missed my chance. But then I heard that B.J. Penn had a rib injury, so I kind of felt like maybe it was an opportunity for me. It would be great timing if B.J. Penn and I were ready to come back at the same time,” stated Jung through a Facebook post (via MMA Fighting).
Jung admits Penn never entered his crosshairs in the past, but now that “The Prodigy” is going to try his luck at 145 pounds, he wants to throw his name into the hat.
The soon-to-be 30-year-old fighter has gone through many changes since he last stepped foot inside the cage, and the much more mature featherweight says his fights will be that much more exciting.
“I’m moving from my twenties to my thirties, from a youth to an old man,” Jung said. “I became a father. A lot of things have changed, so things seem very new to me. It feels like it’s a new beginning. I have to do my best and I think I’ll do well. I need to work even harder now. I don’t think there’s really any more to say than that. I just hope that the fans keep their eyes on me.”
“It seemed like a really long time. A lot of fans have told me that, and it feels like it was a really long time to me, too. Now that I’m back in the UFC, I’ll try to put on even more exciting fights that the fans can get really excited about,” he concluded.
Penn was set to face Ricardo Lamas at the UFC Fight Night 97 mixed martial arts (MMA) event on Oct. 15, 2016 inside SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, before he suffered an injury.
“The Prodigy” was booked to fight Dennis Siver, and then Cole Miller, at UFC 197 earlier this year, but he was suspended six months by United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for an out-of-competition IV use dating back to March 25.
Nevertheless, Penn is still determined to make his MMA comeback…eventually. What are the chances it’s “The Korean Zombie” that meets him when he’s ready?
Chief among them is Chan Sung Jung, who hasn’t competed since 2013 after “The Korean Zombie” took time off from fighting following his loss to then-featherweight champion Jose Aldo — who also wants out of UFC — to serve in his country’s military.
And he already has an opponent in mind as he eyes a return to action later this year.
“For the past six months, there’s a fighter that I’ve been wanting to fight, B.J. Penn,” Jung said. “When the B.J. Penn (vs. Ricardo) Lamas fight was announced, I thought I missed my chance. But then I heard that B.J. Penn had a rib injury, so I kind of felt like maybe it was an opportunity for me. It would be great timing if B.J. Penn and I were ready to come back at the same time,” stated Jung through a Facebook post (via MMA Fighting).
Jung admits Penn never entered his crosshairs in the past, but now that “The Prodigy” is going to try his luck at 145 pounds, he wants to throw his name into the hat.
The soon-to-be 30-year-old fighter has gone through many changes since he last stepped foot inside the cage, and the much more mature featherweight says his fights will be that much more exciting.
“I’m moving from my twenties to my thirties, from a youth to an old man,” Jung said. “I became a father. A lot of things have changed, so things seem very new to me. It feels like it’s a new beginning. I have to do my best and I think I’ll do well. I need to work even harder now. I don’t think there’s really any more to say than that. I just hope that the fans keep their eyes on me.”
“It seemed like a really long time. A lot of fans have told me that, and it feels like it was a really long time to me, too. Now that I’m back in the UFC, I’ll try to put on even more exciting fights that the fans can get really excited about,” he concluded.
Penn was set to face Ricardo Lamas at the UFC Fight Night 97 mixed martial arts (MMA) event on Oct. 15, 2016 inside SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, before he suffered an injury.
“The Prodigy” was booked to fight Dennis Siver, and then Cole Miller, at UFC 197 earlier this year, but he was suspended six months by United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for an out-of-competition IV use dating back to March 25.
Nevertheless, Penn is still determined to make his MMA comeback…eventually. What are the chances it’s “The Korean Zombie” that meets him when he’s ready?
