“If you compare me nine years ago when I debuted at UFC to a high school student, then I have become a complete adult now. I just fought in the beginning and the experience of failing a few times gave me a lot of lessons. I have grown not only in my skills and power but also in the mental part of my game.”

So forget the fact UFC boss Dana White has confirmed that if the 33-year-old wins this bout he’ll get a shot at the featherweight title, held by Australian Alexander Volkanovski (22-1).

And forget that it’s taken Jung almost a decade in the UFC to get to this point, through career-threatening injuries and surgeries, a break for military service and the peaks and troughs that come with life as a fighter whose explosive style has made him among the game’s most popular.

Forget, too, the very public spat that Jung had with Ortega at UFC 248 in March, when words were thrown back and forth, along with a slap from the American that caught Jung’s friend and hip-hop artist, Jay Park, flush on the face.

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The image Jung has projected this week is that he has arrived at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi knowing what he’s there to do and how he’s going to do it.

“There have been various incidents, and it is true that we have a bad relationship with Ortega, but it is not important,” said Jung. “[Before fights] I always think about going to the decision but it would be nice to beat Ortega via submission.

“It would be fun to beat a fighter who is really good at jiu-jitsu with a submission. But when I faced Ortega [at the hotel in Abu Dhabi] it hit me, and that kind of mindset disappeared. [Now] it burns. I have a desire for the fight.”

The smart money is on this one not going the distance, given that 29-year-old Ortega has ended 10 of his fights early, and given Jung’s propensity to launch fireworks. The American has been out of the cage since getting battered by then-champ and compatriot Max Holloway (21-6) in a TKO loss in 2018, but Jung dismisses any notion of “ring rust”.

“Ring rust doesn’t come in about two years,” said the fourth-ranked Jung. “Ortega is the second-ranked fighter in the world so I don’t think he has the mentality to experience anything like ring rust.”

What Jung and his team at Fight Ready would have noticed was how Holloway overpowered Ortega with his striking – landing 307 blows to 112, according to UFC Stats. What we’ve come to know and expect from Jung is that he’ll throw – at volume – and he’ll do what all good zombies do – he’ll keep moving forward.

Jung and Ortega were set to meet last December before a knee injury forced the American out. He was replaced by compatriot Frankie Edgar (24-8-1) and Jung dealt with him by 3:18 of the first round. That made it 2-0, both TKOs, for the Korean, and before that there was a knockout loss – in the very last second – to a highlight reel “throw and hope” elbow from Mexican Yair Rodríguez (13-2) after Jung had been ahead on all cards.

Win on Sunday and Jung will get a title shot – and a chance to become the first Asian male to claim a UFC title. But even that possibility hasn’t shifted his focus.

“This fight I am not only using striking, I am going to use all my skills,” said Jung. “I really want to become a champion, maybe more than anyone else. But right now I am focused on Ortega.

“I prepared perfectly to meet the expectations of many fans. I worked really hard not to be ashamed of myself. I will show you how hard I have worked, how well I can fight and how strong I am.”