bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Mathew Scott

 
Dan Ige knows exactly what will be coming at him on Saturday, after he looks up and he sees Jung Chan-sung waiting on the other side of the cage at UFC Vegas 29.
“The Korean Zombie” does what The Korean Zombie does. The trick is beating him to the punch. And Ige (15-3) believes he has the measure of Jung (16-6).
“I can find his chin,” says the American. “He can find mine, as anything goes in the cage. That’s why we love this crazy sport. But I think I can find his chin before he finds mine.”
The 29-year-old Ige knows what’s at stake in this headline bout on a 12-fight card at the UFC Apex facility. He’s ranked eighth, to Jung’s fourth – and he sees a title shot in the distance.


“I like the fact I don’t really have to go chase him,” says Ige. “He’s there. He’s a brawler. I just want to meet you in the middle and we’ll throw down.
“He’s a legend. I’ve been watching him since high school, since before I was even fighting. It’s just crazy I’ve caught up with him. I’m a fan but at the same time, when I’m in there it’s not me versus ‘The Korean Zombie’. It’s just me versus a body.”
UFC Vegas 29: ‘The Korean Zombie’ says bring on the brawl against Dan Ige
Ige’s title claims were staked both with a win, and a loss. He demolished Gavin Tucker (13-2) last time out, landing a clean right hand with just 22 with seconds gone and laying the Canadian out. Before that Ige emerged from a five-round battle with the fifth-ranked American Calvin Kattar (22-5) beaten but unbowed.
“It was a big learning experience,” Ige says. “Especially the fact that we got to headline a main event, with the added media pressure and the five rounds. I definitely gained a lot of confidence, even in a loss.
“To go through a five-round war with one of the best in the world, you come out better for the experience and now here we are. I’m just moving forward and I feel I’m just now entering my prime.”

That loss ended a six-fight winning streak that had built Ige’s reputation and had started to turn heads in a division that’s ruled by Alexander Volkanovski (22-1) but has a backlog of fighters wanting to take a shot at the Australian.
Ige explains that when fighters are in that kind of form the only fear is that to miss a fight is to miss an opportunity to win once again.
“I took the fast track,” he says. “I was just going fight after fight after fight. I was beating these guys and I just felt like I had to keep going until someone stopped me. Eventually I got stopped in my tracks. But I was going with what my heart was telling me to do, and my heart was telling me to go for it.”

After the loss to Kattar, there was an extended time away from the cage. The idea was to reassess and pour over every moment of his career.
“I learned that it’s about taking what I have, my strengths, and refining them,” says Ige. “It’s about finding what works best for me and using those skills to their fullest potential. I really feel like I’m reaching that point now. Everything is starting to click.
“Every fight I’ve had, every moment, has moulded me into the fighter I am today – the human being, the husband, the father I am. I’m in a good place, mentally, physically, spiritually. I’m just ready to go.”

Ige returned to action in March – and every single thing went right on the night.
“I always go in there with that chip on my shoulder, like I want to make a statement,” says Ige. “At the time, that opportunity to finish it did just present itself, but in the countless hours of training I had just sharpened my skills. I was just so ready.
“After the Calvin fight I took eight months off to just get better and it all showed with just one punch. Now I’m just looking to carry the momentum into this next one.”

And this next one is the 34-year-old Jung, one of the UFC’s human highlight reels and a veteran looking for a late-career push for a title shot of his own.
“I think our style just makes a perfect fight,” says Ige. “It’s a fun fight for the fans but also for me personally. But I just now feel like I’m better.
“I truly believe I’m gonna be the champion in this division and ‘Zombie’ is the guy to beat. He’s in front of me and beating him is going to put me right there in the mix.”


Ex-painter is first China woman competitor in world slap contest, says helps to confront fears

ONE Championship: Christian Lee vows to finish off Alibeg Rasulov in Tokyo rematch

UFC signs 4-year deal to host 3 fights in Macau after ‘resounding success’ of 2024 event

Chinese medicine doctor-MMA star Shi Ming vows to keep healing, fighting after UFC debut

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

UFC Vegas 29: Dan Ige will target Korean Zombie’s chin – and then a title shot

Dan Ige knocks out Gavin Tucker in a featherweight bout at UFC Vegas 21. Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Calvin Kattar celebrates after his decision victory over Dan Ige. Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Dan Ige throws a punch during his win over Edson Barboza in Jacksonville. Photo: USA Today

Dan Ige reacts after his knockout victory over Gavin Tucker. Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

‘The Korean Zombie’ Jung Chan-sung battles Brian Ortega in their featherweight bout on UFC Fight Island. Photo: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

UFC Vegas 29: ‘The Korean Zombie’ says bring on the brawl against Dan Ige

Brian Ortega punches ‘The Korean Zombie’ in their UFC Fight Night main event inside Flash Forum. Photo: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Dan Ige knocks out Gavin Tucker at UFC Vegas 21. Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

UFC: Marina Rodriguez warns Joanna Jedrzejczyk; down to fight Mackenzie Dern but wants full camp

Marina Rodriguez punches Michelle Waterson in their flyweight fight at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Conor McGregor faces his moment of truth against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264

Conor McGregor prepares for his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier. Photo: Instagram/Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor’s loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov was an epic fight, but ‘Notorious’ has been on a slide ever since. Photo: AP

Conor McGregor pummelled Donald Cerrone, but he has failed to get back to his previous form in the cage when he looked unbeatable. Photo: AP 

Conor McGregor has one chance to fall on the right side his trilogy with Dustin Poirier. Photo: Zuffa LLC

Is this the last chance for Conor McGregor to remain relevant inside the Octagon? Photo: Getty Images

UFC’s ‘Korean Superboy’ hell-bent on a resurgence after four years of trials and tribulations

Choi Doo-ho of South Korea poses for a portrait backstage after his victory over Thiago Tavares at MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 8, 2016, in Las Vegas. Photo: Todd Lussier/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Sport

Martial Arts

Mixed Martial Arts


American featherweight star faces Korean veteran at the top of UFC Vegas 29 card
‘I can find his chin. When I’m in there it’s not me versus The Korean Zombie. It’s just me versus a body,’ says Ige



American featherweight Dan Ige says it’ll be ‘just me versus a body’ when he takes on Korean veteran Jung Chan-sung in UFC Vegas 29 main event.
