At UFC on Fuel TV 3, Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier and the “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung will duke it out to further their ascension to the featherweight division’s top rung currently occupied by Jose “Scarface&rdquo…
At UFC on Fuel TV 3, Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier and the “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung will duke it out to further their ascension to the featherweight division’s top rung currently occupied by Jose “Scarface” Aldo. However, come fight night, the victor will not be rewarded with the No. 1 contender’s spot.
As Erik Koch is scheduled to face-off against the assemblage’s premier fighter at UFC 149, the likely contender for the aforementioned slot is Japanese denizen Hatsu Hioki.
The former Shooto and Sengoku titlist is currently the No. 2 fighter in the UFC’S 145-pound weight class, and is 2-0 (decision wins over George Roop and Bart Palaszewski) in the Zuffa-based promotion.
With that in mind, I believe he warrants an immediate shot at the championship, just as long as he gets past Ricardo Lamas at UFC on FX: Maynard vs. Guida on June 22.
However, in the likelihood that Hatsu were to lose his upcoming clash, then either Poirier (12-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) or the Korean Zombie (12-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) who steamrolled Mark Hominick in seven seconds, will be next in line for a tilt at the Aldo’s coveted crown.
Diego Nunes would’ve been in with a shout, but he scuppered his chances of moving up the rankings when he lost a unanimous decision to Denis Siver at UFC on Fuel TV 2.
Chad Mendes is also out of the reckoning, as he recently lost to Aldo at UFC 142.
The UFC on Fuel comes live on Tuesday from Fairfax, Va. The bout will be headlined by a featherweight contenders’ bout between Chan Sung Jung and Dustin Poirier. The card possesses a number of fighters who have to be feeling the heat going into th…
The UFC on Fuel comes live on Tuesday from Fairfax, Va. The bout will be headlined by a featherweight contenders’ bout between Chan Sung Jung and Dustin Poirier.
The card possesses a number of fighters who have to be feeling the heat going into their respective bouts. They are either on losing streaks or have lost enough to be in danger of being cut.
Since moving to the UFC as part of the WEC merger, Dustin Poirier and Chan-Sung Jung have gone undefeated and separated themselves as two of the featherweight division’s top contenders. At Tuesday’s UFC on Fuel TV 3, Poirier and Jung will meet in a bou…
Since moving to the UFC as part of the WEC merger, Dustin Poirier and Chan-Sung Jung have gone undefeated and separated themselves as two of the featherweight division’s top contenders.
At Tuesday’s UFC on Fuel TV 3, Poirier and Jung will meet in a bout that could earn the winner a spot in a 145-pound title fight. The fighters will headline the fight card, which will also feature the likes of Amir Sadollah, Jorge Lopez, Donald Cerrone and Jeremy Stephens at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va.
After a 1-1 run as a WEC lightweight, Poirier opted to make a move to featherweight for his UFC debut, in which he shocked then-top contender Josh Grispi with a dominant decision victory. Since then, Poirier has picked up three more victories inside the Octagon, including submission wins in his past two fights.
Meanwhile, Jung entered the UFC having lost three of his past four fights. Despite the downturn in his career, Jung made a big splash in his UFC debut by securing the first twister submission inside the Octagon in a rematch with Leonard Garcia. Then, Jung proceeded to knock out former title contender Mark Hominick in seven seconds.
With both fighters riding the most momentum they have ever had in their careers, let’s take a look at whether Poirier or Jung has a better chance of taking a big step toward competing in their first championship fight.
With so much going on in mixed martial arts right now, if you blink you will miss the third UFC on Fuel TV spectacular on Tuesday night, live from Fairfax, Virginia and a main event featuring Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier. The Korean Zombie, a…
With so much going on in mixed martial arts right now, if you blink you will miss the third UFC on Fuel TV spectacular on Tuesday night, live from Fairfax, Virginia and a main event featuring Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier.
The Korean Zombie, as Sung Jung is known, is looking to keep his upward momentum going. He has won his last two fights, including his UFC debut against Mark Hominick at UFC 140 last December that lasted all of seven seconds.
Poirier just keeps rolling along, whether he is fighting in WEC or UFC, it doesn’t matter. He enters this fight with a 12-1 record and five consecutive wins. His last two victories have come via submission, and another impressive victory is expected to put him in title contention.
Where: Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia
When: Tuesday, May 15 at 8:00 p.m. EST
Watch: Fuel TV
Fight Card
Main Card
Featherweight Bout: Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier
Welterweight Bout: Amir Sadollah vs. Jorge Lopez
Lightweight Bout: Donald Cerrone vs. Jeremy Stephens
Bantamweight Bout: Yves Jabouin vs. Jeff Hougland
Light Heavyweight Bout: Igor Pokrajac vs. Fabio Maldonado
Middleweight Bout: Jason MacDonald vs. Tom Lawlor
Preliminary Card
Lightweight Bout: Cody McKenzie vs. Marcus LeVesseur
Middleweight Bout: Brad Taveras vs. Dongi Yang
Lightweight Bout: T.J. Grant vs. Carlo Prater
Lightweight Bout: Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Kamal Shalorus
Bantamweight Bout: Jeff Curran vs. Johnny Eduardo
Bantamweight Bout: Alex Soto vs. Francisco Rivera
Sung Jung’s Keys to Victory
Control the ground; don’t get caught trading punches with Poirier.
The Korean Zombie’s best shot at winning this fight is by taking it to the ground, controlling the mat and working Poirier over. He is most effective fighting for submissions and using strikes to work the ground.
Poirier’s strength is standing and trading, though he does have a good submission game. Sung Jung needs to avoid the temptation to exchange punches with Poirier from the stand-up. He has a strong chin and can take a punch, but it is not conducive to sustained success in this fight.
Poirier’s Keys to Victory
Don’t let Sung Jung get ground control; mix takedowns in with striking.
Poirier is a more complete fighter than Sung Jung; he has better striking, power and a good ground game with a vast array of submission holds at his disposal. He needs to use all of his strengths in this fight to overcome the lightning quick Korean Zombie.
As long as Poirier doesn’t get cocky and allow Sung Jung to get control on the mat, he has a great chance to at least earn a decision victory because he is the better all-round fighter.
What They Are Saying
Poirier certainly has respect for all that Sung Jung has accomplished in his career, but that doesn’t mean he sees himself in a vulnerable position simply because of the constant-attack style that the Korean Zombie uses.
I really see him having a tough time of getting him down so I think that’s gonna be up to me. I think I might be able to use my wrestling a little bit better than he can to dictate where the fight takes place. Just because a guy does a Twister, I’m not 100% convinced that he’s a brilliant jiu-jitsu practitioner. I’ll find out when we get in there and start moving around.
Given the strength of Poirier is his jiu-jitsu, Sung Jung is going to need every bit of that forward motion to keep up with him in this fight.
Undercard Fight To Watch: Donald Cerrone vs. Jeremy Stephens
Cerrone was on his way to a lightweight championship fight before losing to Nate Diaz at UFC 141, but his lightning quick style and unique approach on offense makes him one of the most dangerous fighters in the division.
Stephens has had mixed results throughout his UFC career, seemingly changing wins and losses virtually every time out. He wants to stand and trade with anyone standing on the opposite side of the cage, and his power makes him scary against anyone he goes up against. All it takes is one punch to change everything.
Main Event Prediction
While I would be shocked if the fight is bad, or even mediocre, Poirier’s time in the spotlight is rapidly approaching. He is going to get a championship fight as soon as this match is over.
Whether you just have a short downtime during work or don’t want a lengthy breakdown, these “Quick Breaks” are for you. “Quick Breaks” are short breakdowns of upcoming fights. In a summed-up focus of strengths, weaknesses and variables, thi…
Whether you just have a short downtime during work or don’t want a lengthy breakdown, these “Quick Breaks” are for you. “Quick Breaks” are short breakdowns of upcoming fights. In a summed-up focus of strengths, weaknesses and variables, this will analyze what could happen in the fight and end with a prediction.
The UFC will return to Fuel TV once more for its third event. The event takes place on May 15 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. Headlining the main event is an exciting Featherweight matchup between Chan Sun Jung and Dustin Poirier.
In the blue corner you have Poirier, who is currently on a five-fight winning streak and has only one loss in his career. Poirier has been on a tear since coming over to the UFC from the WEC,and has recently racked up two submission wins in his last two fights. While he has found success on the ground, Jung may be the man to match him.
In the red corner stands “The Korean Zombie.” Coming off of two incredible finishes, Jung is on a hot streak that seems to be leading him straight into a title shot. While he only is on a two-fight win streak, his twister submission win and seven-second knockout speak for themselves. Known for constantly coming forward and his willingness to exchange, he has created a persona for himself that is very well known and liked. With most of his victories coming by submission, Jung poses a unique threat to Poirier on the ground.
It is worthy to note that neither man has ever been submitted, and only Jung has suffered a KO loss.
This fight is important due to not only the style matchup, but also the title implications. The winner of this fight is likely the next in line for the winner of Jose Aldo vs. Erik Koch.
Both men have proven themselves on the ground, but the stand-up may be where this fight is decided. Jung has good hands, but the advantage would have to edge toward Poirier, who will likely want to keep it standing. It’s not that he couldn’t submit the Zombie, but his hands are much more proven than Jung’s.
Jung may have gotten the quick knockout of Mark Hominick, but his fights with Leonard Garcia show a much less technical fighter. Regardless, fans can expect a great fight standing or on the ground.
Prediction: Dustin Poirier wins via TKO late in Round 1 or early in Round 2.
This weekend is going to be a busy one in MMA, as there are a number of promotions putting on fight cards. Of these promotions, notables such as KSW, Bellator and Legacy Fighting Championship have put together solid cards worth viewing.On top of that, …
This weekend is going to be a busy one in MMA, as there are a number of promotions putting on fight cards. Of these promotions, notables such as KSW, Bellator and Legacy Fighting Championship have put together solid cards worth viewing.
On top of that, following the conclusion of the weekend, the UFC returns to Fuel TV with an important featherweight battle.
All in all this weekend should more than suffice the hardcore MMA fan. Let’s take a look at some notable cards that will be put on this weekend.
At UFC on Fuel TV 3, Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier and the “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung will duke it out to further their ascension to the featherweight division’s top rung currently occupied by Jose “Scarface” Aldo. However, come fight night, the victor will not be rewarded with the No. 1 contender’s spot.