i was looking at this card earlier and noticed Overeem was the co-main. he's one of the biggest fighters in the world so it makes sence, even after getting KTFO 3/4 times recently. now Nate is the co-main. it's not cus of Dos Anjos, its cus of Nate. DW be bullshittin when he says Nate dont "move the needle".
MMA News Thread
- Thread starter Shogun Locc
- Start date
Michael Page: “Not many fighters have training partners that can mimic my style”
By Ian Bain
Michael ‘Venom’ Page is one of the most exciting fighters in MMA.
The 6-0 British welterweight looks to continue his rise up the MMA ladder this Friday when he meets former UFC fighter Nah-Shon Burrell in the co-main event of Bellator 128. The Brit has become renowned among MMA fans for his outrageous stand up, afterall he did finish his MMA debut with a tornado kick. But where does his crazy striking come from? For Page it comes from a martial art that he has been involved with since the age of three.
“I came from a point scoring background” Page told MMAOpinion.co.uk in an exclusive interview. Page’s background is in Lau Gar kung fu, a freestyle form of striking. “I started training at the age of three because both my Mum and Dad, who was my instructor, were both in the game of martial arts. From there, I competed in my first competition at the age of 5.If I took you to a point scoring competition, you would see a lot of people fighting the way that I fight. The only slight difference is that I put on a show by being flamboyant and entertaining. I keep my hands low, not protecting my hands as many people would say, but that comes from my point fighting background.”
For many fans, the early days of MMA showed that a lot of martial arts did not translate well to the MMA fights that occurred in that era. That is not to say that all styles can not be adapted for the cage, we have seen fighters such as Lyoto Machida and Stephen Thompson use their karate background to knock fighters out. Page has been able to do that so far in his career, much to his surprise.
“I thought that the crossover in to MMA was going to be a lot harder. I really thought that I would have had to change my style, however the point scoring style suits MMA well. My style has not really been seen in the cage before and the fact that I can hit you and then get out before you hit me causes a lot of problems. I would not class myself as a knockout fighter but when you keep tagging people over and over again with accuracy, then eventually you will catch the fighter at the right time. The knockouts are a result of that accuracy”
It is fair to say that Page is right to suggest that the accuracy is a big part of why he has been able to finish all six of his opponents so far. At 6 foot 3, his long limbs have caused fighters problems and along with the style he possesses, fighters are left short trying to find fighters to mimic him in their training camps. For Page that is a massive advantage going in to a fight, even before they have set foot in the cage.
“At the moment I am riding a lot on that (not being able to find suitable fighters to mimic him. Your first real experience of my style is when you are in the cage with me,” Page claims confidently. “By then it is too late! I spoke to a guy that told me that one of my opponents got a Tae Kwan Do fighter to come in and mimic me. I found that funny, the style is similar in the sense that it is point scoring striking too but it still is not the same thing. You have then basically told me that you have done incorrect training to prepare for me. Not many fighters can get anyone in to mimic me.”
The flashy striking stuff does not come without problems of it own. Page has not been taken out of the first round so far in his MMA career, making light work of each of his opponents. Because of this, fans look at him as someone who needs to be tested. Page sees this as being part of the game, fans will always want him to step up his caliber opponent, something which he sees happening when he steps in the cage against Burrell on Friday. Experience is needed, despite nearly a quarter of a century in combat sports. But for Page, he doesn’t think he is fighting bad fighters, it is his style that is making it look easy. When he heads to Oklahoma he is under no illusions of the impact another win could have on his plans to get to the top, something he is not keen on rushing.
“The point scoring is not as intense as MMA but the travelling is the same. I did a lot of travelling on that circuit, in fact my first world title was in America at a tournament in Orlando,Florida. I was travelling up and down England and also internationally so I gained a lot of experience. However, there are different types of experience. I have a lot of combat experience. In terms of MMA, yes I still need to work on my game. That is why I keep telling people who say ‘I should be doing this’ or ‘fighting on that show’ – I am just taking my time, I am not in a rush. I want to enjoy the ride. Instead of rushing to the top and being there for a short time, I want to get there when I am ready and be there for a long time.”
“After my first fight, because of the tornado kick, my coach said that even though it was a great fight for me, everyone is going to look at me as a top-level MMA fighter because of how I finished the fight, despite at the time, my MMA experience being low-level. The crazy stuff I do in the cage has people questioning the level of my opponents but Ricky Rainey is a good fighter. I watched tape on him and was impressed with what I saw, I was expecting a long fight. I trained for three rounds. He is a good fighter. All I can do though to show people I am improving is step up the level of opposition. People will then realise that it is my style.”
You can tell by talking to Page the impact martial arts has had on his life. As well as starting martial arts at a young age, for Page it was very much a family way of living. As well as his Mum and Dad (Curtis Page) , Page’s brothers and sisters were also on the kickboxing circuit. Page takes his martial arts very serious, when he is not competing in the cage, he coaches other kickboxers from a variety of ages. An ideology which he thinks is very important and one that he will look to instill on any children he has in the future.
“I think everyone should have a martial art that they start at a young age,” Page declared to MMAOpinion.co.uk. “It is not about aggression, it is confidence building. The areas that I have lived in have not been the greatest. All the children would say they were going to do this and that but I just was never interested. I always had someone to look up to in my Dad so peer pressure did not come in to it. I got my leadership skills from martial arts. My friends at one point would be smoking but I was just never interested, I was happy to be the odd one out. They had their focus and I had mine and that focus was massively on martial arts. All of the travelling I have done has meant I have mixed with so many different cultures, from Scotland, to Greece, to America. I have learnt about people because of martial arts. I was never pressurised in to this life. My Dad always wanted us to do martial arts but we did not have to compete. We all went out as a family a nd supported each other. My brothers and sisters were competing as well. I never understood why my dad said I did not have to compete, as I loved it!”
“People say you should never pressure children in to anything, but to be fair, going to school is a compulsory law because we know the benefits you get from it. I think martial arts is the same. I do not have any children but I know that when I do, they will have to do martial arts, regardless of how they feel. Later on, if they don’t enjoy it they can decide whether they continue to pursue the martial art, however they don’t ever have to compete. 100% though they should learn that martial art, my Dad very much treated it like school. As with any thing, you have good days and bad days. I remember for four years, I would go to competitions and watch my brothers and sisters winning trophies. I would not even get a third place. I had a hard time but with persistence it changed. It taught me a lot and I am the point now where I am enjoying my martial arts lifestyle. People always ask me, ‘What if you lose?’ It really is not the end of the world, I will have learnt and gained experience, it will mean that I will never lose in the fashion again. I would come back stronger.”
By Ian Bain
Michael ‘Venom’ Page is one of the most exciting fighters in MMA.
The 6-0 British welterweight looks to continue his rise up the MMA ladder this Friday when he meets former UFC fighter Nah-Shon Burrell in the co-main event of Bellator 128. The Brit has become renowned among MMA fans for his outrageous stand up, afterall he did finish his MMA debut with a tornado kick. But where does his crazy striking come from? For Page it comes from a martial art that he has been involved with since the age of three.
“I came from a point scoring background” Page told MMAOpinion.co.uk in an exclusive interview. Page’s background is in Lau Gar kung fu, a freestyle form of striking. “I started training at the age of three because both my Mum and Dad, who was my instructor, were both in the game of martial arts. From there, I competed in my first competition at the age of 5.If I took you to a point scoring competition, you would see a lot of people fighting the way that I fight. The only slight difference is that I put on a show by being flamboyant and entertaining. I keep my hands low, not protecting my hands as many people would say, but that comes from my point fighting background.”
For many fans, the early days of MMA showed that a lot of martial arts did not translate well to the MMA fights that occurred in that era. That is not to say that all styles can not be adapted for the cage, we have seen fighters such as Lyoto Machida and Stephen Thompson use their karate background to knock fighters out. Page has been able to do that so far in his career, much to his surprise.
“I thought that the crossover in to MMA was going to be a lot harder. I really thought that I would have had to change my style, however the point scoring style suits MMA well. My style has not really been seen in the cage before and the fact that I can hit you and then get out before you hit me causes a lot of problems. I would not class myself as a knockout fighter but when you keep tagging people over and over again with accuracy, then eventually you will catch the fighter at the right time. The knockouts are a result of that accuracy”
It is fair to say that Page is right to suggest that the accuracy is a big part of why he has been able to finish all six of his opponents so far. At 6 foot 3, his long limbs have caused fighters problems and along with the style he possesses, fighters are left short trying to find fighters to mimic him in their training camps. For Page that is a massive advantage going in to a fight, even before they have set foot in the cage.
“At the moment I am riding a lot on that (not being able to find suitable fighters to mimic him. Your first real experience of my style is when you are in the cage with me,” Page claims confidently. “By then it is too late! I spoke to a guy that told me that one of my opponents got a Tae Kwan Do fighter to come in and mimic me. I found that funny, the style is similar in the sense that it is point scoring striking too but it still is not the same thing. You have then basically told me that you have done incorrect training to prepare for me. Not many fighters can get anyone in to mimic me.”
The flashy striking stuff does not come without problems of it own. Page has not been taken out of the first round so far in his MMA career, making light work of each of his opponents. Because of this, fans look at him as someone who needs to be tested. Page sees this as being part of the game, fans will always want him to step up his caliber opponent, something which he sees happening when he steps in the cage against Burrell on Friday. Experience is needed, despite nearly a quarter of a century in combat sports. But for Page, he doesn’t think he is fighting bad fighters, it is his style that is making it look easy. When he heads to Oklahoma he is under no illusions of the impact another win could have on his plans to get to the top, something he is not keen on rushing.
“The point scoring is not as intense as MMA but the travelling is the same. I did a lot of travelling on that circuit, in fact my first world title was in America at a tournament in Orlando,Florida. I was travelling up and down England and also internationally so I gained a lot of experience. However, there are different types of experience. I have a lot of combat experience. In terms of MMA, yes I still need to work on my game. That is why I keep telling people who say ‘I should be doing this’ or ‘fighting on that show’ – I am just taking my time, I am not in a rush. I want to enjoy the ride. Instead of rushing to the top and being there for a short time, I want to get there when I am ready and be there for a long time.”
“After my first fight, because of the tornado kick, my coach said that even though it was a great fight for me, everyone is going to look at me as a top-level MMA fighter because of how I finished the fight, despite at the time, my MMA experience being low-level. The crazy stuff I do in the cage has people questioning the level of my opponents but Ricky Rainey is a good fighter. I watched tape on him and was impressed with what I saw, I was expecting a long fight. I trained for three rounds. He is a good fighter. All I can do though to show people I am improving is step up the level of opposition. People will then realise that it is my style.”
You can tell by talking to Page the impact martial arts has had on his life. As well as starting martial arts at a young age, for Page it was very much a family way of living. As well as his Mum and Dad (Curtis Page) , Page’s brothers and sisters were also on the kickboxing circuit. Page takes his martial arts very serious, when he is not competing in the cage, he coaches other kickboxers from a variety of ages. An ideology which he thinks is very important and one that he will look to instill on any children he has in the future.
“I think everyone should have a martial art that they start at a young age,” Page declared to MMAOpinion.co.uk. “It is not about aggression, it is confidence building. The areas that I have lived in have not been the greatest. All the children would say they were going to do this and that but I just was never interested. I always had someone to look up to in my Dad so peer pressure did not come in to it. I got my leadership skills from martial arts. My friends at one point would be smoking but I was just never interested, I was happy to be the odd one out. They had their focus and I had mine and that focus was massively on martial arts. All of the travelling I have done has meant I have mixed with so many different cultures, from Scotland, to Greece, to America. I have learnt about people because of martial arts. I was never pressurised in to this life. My Dad always wanted us to do martial arts but we did not have to compete. We all went out as a family a nd supported each other. My brothers and sisters were competing as well. I never understood why my dad said I did not have to compete, as I loved it!”
“People say you should never pressure children in to anything, but to be fair, going to school is a compulsory law because we know the benefits you get from it. I think martial arts is the same. I do not have any children but I know that when I do, they will have to do martial arts, regardless of how they feel. Later on, if they don’t enjoy it they can decide whether they continue to pursue the martial art, however they don’t ever have to compete. 100% though they should learn that martial art, my Dad very much treated it like school. As with any thing, you have good days and bad days. I remember for four years, I would go to competitions and watch my brothers and sisters winning trophies. I would not even get a third place. I had a hard time but with persistence it changed. It taught me a lot and I am the point now where I am enjoying my martial arts lifestyle. People always ask me, ‘What if you lose?’ It really is not the end of the world, I will have learnt and gained experience, it will mean that I will never lose in the fashion again. I would come back stronger.”
cont
Page trains for Bellator 128. Image courtesy of Rachel Raphael.
That step up begins at Bellator 128, his opponent Nah-Shon Burrell has fought in Strikeforce and the UFC over his fifteen fight career. While he is coming in this fight on a loss, Page knows that beating Burrell is another good sign of the progress he is making in the sport. That progress is reflected in him moving up the card, he was the opening main card bout of Bellator’s inaugural PPV, in Oklahoma he will serve as the co-main event. That step showed him make a flamboyant appearance on the poster for the event, wearing what may become his trademark sunglasses, a conscious part by Page and the promotion to show the character that is behind the flash striking.
“It is funny how things fall in to place, I came out to my fight with Ricky Rainey wearing sunglasses. I had a lot of people who were hot and cold on them but I had worn them as a tribute to my friend. After the fight, I gave those glasses away and then out of the blue, Bellator called me and asked me to wear my sunglasses to the photoshoot. I ended up getting a new pair and when I saw the poster, I loved it. It shows my personality, I love it really because you aren’t going to see a poster like this one representing MMA.”
“I believe that my striking is going to be the advantage I have in most fights. The striking is my thing, it is what I am known for. I really don’t think that will only be apparent against Nah-Shon.He has a better name than my past opponents because he has done more in MMA. He has that experience. On the feet is where I am going to want to outwork him.”
Page’s extravagant striking has left many MMA fans wondering how he would do competing at the highest level of striking. Glory has made waves as being the home of the majority of the best kickboxers in the world. Page has friends under the Glory banner and while it is unlikely we will see Page in a Glory ring any time soon, it is something he would never rule out. In fact, you may see a Page in the ring at one point though as his younger brother continues to make a splash on the kickboxing circuit.
“It is weird, when I left kickboxing, even though I didn’t really do any of the muay thai stuff, it was because I was sick of kickboxing. Then, when I started MMA, Glory took over the sport. My good friend, Raymond Daniels is fighting over there at the moment and we have the same style of fighting. He is doing really well but for me, I am just really enjoying my MMA. I am a fighter first and foremost, if Glory or another kickboxing promotion offered me the right deal at the right time, it could happen. My younger brother was kickboxing at the same time as me but he could not be bothered to do the travelling until much later on. The second I went in to MMA, he really stepped up his kickboxing. He has been destroying some big names. We have spoken about MMA but he is really enjoying his kickboxing but he could be interested one day in the future.”
Page has his hands full with Bellator at the moment. Burrell will be his third fight for the promotion and with tournaments taken out of the mix. Page can see a clearer route to the title. The welterweight division currently plays host to some excellent fighters with Douglas Lima currently sitting on top of the mountain as the champion. However, there is one fighter that fans often link with Page, his fellow countryman Paul Daley. For Michael Page, there is no affiliation with one of the biggest names to come out of the British MMA scene, in fact if the fight is offered it will be business as usual.
“The fact is he is another fighter in the game. If we have to fight, we have to fight. The second that fight is put on the table and that is the next step for me, then that is what we will do. I never look at any fighter specifically. I appreciate what they do in the MMA game. I look at Daley and he has a lot of power in his hands which makes him dangerous. I look at Lima and I see a fighter that is very quick, very versatile and well-rounded. I am not targeting anyone but when the fight is offered and it is on the table – that is when they become a target.”
“I know how I am getting on in the gym against amazing wrestlers and amazing grappler. After this fight, if they offer me a title fight, I would not say no. However, if it was up to me, I would have a couple more fights against higher named opponents and prove myself in a three round battle. If Scott Coker calls up after this fight and says you are ready, if my coaches think I am ready, then we will go for the title.”
Before any of the title talk, Michael Page has his hands full with Burrell. The step up in opponent will help fans establish where Page is in the division. When asked for a prediction on how this fight will play out, Page was very confident in how this fight will go and it will be very much more of the same from him.
“A lot of fighters pressure me but I will wear Burrell down with a few accurate shots. He then might try to take me down, I welcome this as I can show people how hard I am working on my wrestling. I will finish him with a knockout and if not, I will every single round on points.”
Page trains for Bellator 128. Image courtesy of Rachel Raphael.
That step up begins at Bellator 128, his opponent Nah-Shon Burrell has fought in Strikeforce and the UFC over his fifteen fight career. While he is coming in this fight on a loss, Page knows that beating Burrell is another good sign of the progress he is making in the sport. That progress is reflected in him moving up the card, he was the opening main card bout of Bellator’s inaugural PPV, in Oklahoma he will serve as the co-main event. That step showed him make a flamboyant appearance on the poster for the event, wearing what may become his trademark sunglasses, a conscious part by Page and the promotion to show the character that is behind the flash striking.
“It is funny how things fall in to place, I came out to my fight with Ricky Rainey wearing sunglasses. I had a lot of people who were hot and cold on them but I had worn them as a tribute to my friend. After the fight, I gave those glasses away and then out of the blue, Bellator called me and asked me to wear my sunglasses to the photoshoot. I ended up getting a new pair and when I saw the poster, I loved it. It shows my personality, I love it really because you aren’t going to see a poster like this one representing MMA.”
“I believe that my striking is going to be the advantage I have in most fights. The striking is my thing, it is what I am known for. I really don’t think that will only be apparent against Nah-Shon.He has a better name than my past opponents because he has done more in MMA. He has that experience. On the feet is where I am going to want to outwork him.”
Page’s extravagant striking has left many MMA fans wondering how he would do competing at the highest level of striking. Glory has made waves as being the home of the majority of the best kickboxers in the world. Page has friends under the Glory banner and while it is unlikely we will see Page in a Glory ring any time soon, it is something he would never rule out. In fact, you may see a Page in the ring at one point though as his younger brother continues to make a splash on the kickboxing circuit.
“It is weird, when I left kickboxing, even though I didn’t really do any of the muay thai stuff, it was because I was sick of kickboxing. Then, when I started MMA, Glory took over the sport. My good friend, Raymond Daniels is fighting over there at the moment and we have the same style of fighting. He is doing really well but for me, I am just really enjoying my MMA. I am a fighter first and foremost, if Glory or another kickboxing promotion offered me the right deal at the right time, it could happen. My younger brother was kickboxing at the same time as me but he could not be bothered to do the travelling until much later on. The second I went in to MMA, he really stepped up his kickboxing. He has been destroying some big names. We have spoken about MMA but he is really enjoying his kickboxing but he could be interested one day in the future.”
Page has his hands full with Bellator at the moment. Burrell will be his third fight for the promotion and with tournaments taken out of the mix. Page can see a clearer route to the title. The welterweight division currently plays host to some excellent fighters with Douglas Lima currently sitting on top of the mountain as the champion. However, there is one fighter that fans often link with Page, his fellow countryman Paul Daley. For Michael Page, there is no affiliation with one of the biggest names to come out of the British MMA scene, in fact if the fight is offered it will be business as usual.
“The fact is he is another fighter in the game. If we have to fight, we have to fight. The second that fight is put on the table and that is the next step for me, then that is what we will do. I never look at any fighter specifically. I appreciate what they do in the MMA game. I look at Daley and he has a lot of power in his hands which makes him dangerous. I look at Lima and I see a fighter that is very quick, very versatile and well-rounded. I am not targeting anyone but when the fight is offered and it is on the table – that is when they become a target.”
“I know how I am getting on in the gym against amazing wrestlers and amazing grappler. After this fight, if they offer me a title fight, I would not say no. However, if it was up to me, I would have a couple more fights against higher named opponents and prove myself in a three round battle. If Scott Coker calls up after this fight and says you are ready, if my coaches think I am ready, then we will go for the title.”
Before any of the title talk, Michael Page has his hands full with Burrell. The step up in opponent will help fans establish where Page is in the division. When asked for a prediction on how this fight will play out, Page was very confident in how this fight will go and it will be very much more of the same from him.
“A lot of fighters pressure me but I will wear Burrell down with a few accurate shots. He then might try to take me down, I welcome this as I can show people how hard I am working on my wrestling. I will finish him with a knockout and if not, I will every single round on points.”
fights this weekend:
Bellator 128 tonight
main CARD Spike TV, 9 p.m. ET
Eduardo 'Dudu' Dantas vs. Joe 'The Baddest Man on the Planet' Warren to unify bantamweight title
Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Michael 'Venom' Page
Dakota Cochrane vs. Alexander 'Tiger' Sarnavskiy
Bubba McDaniel vs. Emiliano Sordi
preliminary CARD Spike.com, 7 p.m. ET
Treston Thomison vs. Cody Walker
Jason Sampson vs. Danny Sykora
Cortez Coleman vs. William Florentino
Jason Butcher vs. Andreas Michailidis
Stephen Banaszak vs. Emmanuel Sanchez
Scott Cleve vs. John Teixeira
Johnny Cottrell vs. Jonathan Gary
Demario Cade vs. Brandon Seyler
RFA 19 tonight
main CARD AXS TV, 10 p.m. ET
Gabriel Checco vs. Jake Collier for vacant middleweight title
Abel Cullum vs. Carl Deaton
Marvin Blumer vs. Junior Maranhao
Jordan Griffin vs. Dan Moret
Rebecca Gullet vs. Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger
preliminary CARD 8 p.m. ET
Raquel Magdaleno vs. Cassie Rodish
Jacob Ouradnik vs. Mike Zimmer
Nate Howe vs. Zak Ottow
WSOF 14 tomorrow
main CARD NBC Sports Network, 9 p.m. ET
Jake Shields vs. Ryan Ford
Derrick Mehmen vs. Smealinho Rama for inaugural heavyweight title
Chris Horodecki vs. Luis Huete
Jared Hamman vs. Luke Harris
preliminary CARD MMAjunkie, 6 p.m. ET
Tim Hague vs. Craig Hudson
Hakeem Dawodu vs. Mike Malott
Marcus 'Wrecking Ball' Hicks vs. Michael Hill
Matt Baker vs. Cody Krahn
Roger Alves vs. David Swanson
Bellator 128 tonight
main CARD Spike TV, 9 p.m. ET
Eduardo 'Dudu' Dantas vs. Joe 'The Baddest Man on the Planet' Warren to unify bantamweight title
Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Michael 'Venom' Page
Dakota Cochrane vs. Alexander 'Tiger' Sarnavskiy
Bubba McDaniel vs. Emiliano Sordi
preliminary CARD Spike.com, 7 p.m. ET
Treston Thomison vs. Cody Walker
Jason Sampson vs. Danny Sykora
Cortez Coleman vs. William Florentino
Jason Butcher vs. Andreas Michailidis
Stephen Banaszak vs. Emmanuel Sanchez
Scott Cleve vs. John Teixeira
Johnny Cottrell vs. Jonathan Gary
Demario Cade vs. Brandon Seyler
RFA 19 tonight
main CARD AXS TV, 10 p.m. ET
Gabriel Checco vs. Jake Collier for vacant middleweight title
Abel Cullum vs. Carl Deaton
Marvin Blumer vs. Junior Maranhao
Jordan Griffin vs. Dan Moret
Rebecca Gullet vs. Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger
preliminary CARD 8 p.m. ET
Raquel Magdaleno vs. Cassie Rodish
Jacob Ouradnik vs. Mike Zimmer
Nate Howe vs. Zak Ottow
WSOF 14 tomorrow
main CARD NBC Sports Network, 9 p.m. ET
Jake Shields vs. Ryan Ford
Derrick Mehmen vs. Smealinho Rama for inaugural heavyweight title
Chris Horodecki vs. Luis Huete
Jared Hamman vs. Luke Harris
preliminary CARD MMAjunkie, 6 p.m. ET
Tim Hague vs. Craig Hudson
Hakeem Dawodu vs. Mike Malott
Marcus 'Wrecking Ball' Hicks vs. Michael Hill
Matt Baker vs. Cody Krahn
Roger Alves vs. David Swanson
Just got tickets to the UFC Fight Night Phoenix show. Shitty upper bowl seats, but oh well, they were cheap lol
Can't wait to see JDS, The Reem, and Nate Diaz. Gonna be a dope show.
Can't wait to see JDS, The Reem, and Nate Diaz. Gonna be a dope show.
Props:
RM211 and RM211
'Korean Zombie' sidelined two years for required military office work
WOW!
Chan Sung Jung has been ordered to complete mandatory military service in his native South Korea. It begins next week, and as a result, the 27-year-old won’t participate in any MMA bouts for the next two years.
Injuries have kept Jung (13-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) out of competition for the majority of the past two years. He’s fought just once since May 2012, but in the next two years, the UFC featherweight will spend even less time in the octagon.
Jung announced the news Monday afternoon on his official Facebook account, and his manager Brian Rhee shared additional information with MMAjunkie.
While Jung will become an active member of the South Korean military on Oct. 20, he won’t be required to travel into the field. According to his manager, Jung’s history of injuries prompted officials to assign him to a government office, where he’ll spend the next two years.
“The Korean Zombie” was scheduled to fight Akira Corassani at UFC Fight Night 53 earlier this month in what would have been his final bout before beginning his military obligations.
He was forced out of the contest due to an injury and hoped he could delay his duties long enough to participate in another bout. However, according to Rhee, the government was unwilling to oblige.
By the time Jung returns, it’ll be more than three years since UFC 163, where he challenged current UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo for the belt. Jung was unsuccessful in his bid to capture UFC gold, but he’s still one of the most beloved fighters on the organization’s roster.
Jung won’t have to come back to the sport completely void of preparation, though. According toRhee, Jung won’t be required to live on the military base. He’s set to serve his time while living at home, which is good news for multiple reasons.
First, Jung will be able to spend time with his newborn child, who is expected to arrive this week. Second, he’s still allowed to train MMA every day. He just can’t participate in any type of professional competition.
Every South Korean male is required to serve a two-year term with the military. Dong Hyun Kim, a UFC welterweight from the country, already completed his stint, which fortunately came before his career a professional fighter.
In his statement, Jung thanked his fans and UFC executives Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta for their support as he prepares for his service.
WOW!
Chan Sung Jung has been ordered to complete mandatory military service in his native South Korea. It begins next week, and as a result, the 27-year-old won’t participate in any MMA bouts for the next two years.
Injuries have kept Jung (13-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) out of competition for the majority of the past two years. He’s fought just once since May 2012, but in the next two years, the UFC featherweight will spend even less time in the octagon.
Jung announced the news Monday afternoon on his official Facebook account, and his manager Brian Rhee shared additional information with MMAjunkie.
While Jung will become an active member of the South Korean military on Oct. 20, he won’t be required to travel into the field. According to his manager, Jung’s history of injuries prompted officials to assign him to a government office, where he’ll spend the next two years.
“The Korean Zombie” was scheduled to fight Akira Corassani at UFC Fight Night 53 earlier this month in what would have been his final bout before beginning his military obligations.
He was forced out of the contest due to an injury and hoped he could delay his duties long enough to participate in another bout. However, according to Rhee, the government was unwilling to oblige.
By the time Jung returns, it’ll be more than three years since UFC 163, where he challenged current UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo for the belt. Jung was unsuccessful in his bid to capture UFC gold, but he’s still one of the most beloved fighters on the organization’s roster.
Jung won’t have to come back to the sport completely void of preparation, though. According toRhee, Jung won’t be required to live on the military base. He’s set to serve his time while living at home, which is good news for multiple reasons.
First, Jung will be able to spend time with his newborn child, who is expected to arrive this week. Second, he’s still allowed to train MMA every day. He just can’t participate in any type of professional competition.
Every South Korean male is required to serve a two-year term with the military. Dong Hyun Kim, a UFC welterweight from the country, already completed his stint, which fortunately came before his career a professional fighter.
In his statement, Jung thanked his fans and UFC executives Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta for their support as he prepares for his service.
