Korean Zombie left the Octagon behind hoping to take with him the last pair of MMA gloves he’ll ever wear as a professional fighter. Unfortunately, one unruly fan made that impossible.
Fans witnessed the end of an era at UFC Singapore last month as fan-favorite Korean Zombie, real name Chan Sung Jung, announced his retirement following a third-round knockout loss against former featherweight champion Max Holloway. It was an emotional moment for TKZ as fans showered him with praise during his final moments in the spotlight.
Taking off his gloves and setting them on the Octagon floor, as is tradition with fighters ready to leave the sport behind, Korean Zombie collected the souvenir and began his long walk to the backstage area following a post-fight interview inside the cage. It was then that a greedy fan in the crowd snatched one of the gloves from his hand.
“So, I took off my gloves in the Octagon, and I was walking backstage with the gloves in my left hand,” Jung said on his YouTube channel. “While I was high-fiving the audience during the walk back, I kept my left arm folded on purpose because I had the gloves in my left hand but then someone held on to my wrists and took one of my gloves.
“Dude, seriously?” he continued. “I really wanted to keep those gloves but one went missing. So, I was like, ‘Whatever,’ and just threw the other one into the crowd. Whoever took my glove, you’ve crossed the line. Those were my last pair of gloves” (h/t MMA Mania).
Though he never claimed UFC gold during his iconic career, Korean Zombie challenged for the featherweight title on two separate occasions, squaring off with 145-pound legend Jose Aldo and reigning world champion Alexander Volkanovski. TKZ holds victories over some of the sport’s biggest names, including Dustin Poirier, Frankie Edgar, Renato Moicano, and Dan Ige. He also carries the distinction of being the first fighter to submit his opponent via a twister in the UFC.