Chan Sung Jung Record: 17-8-0

Octagon stardom

Jung made an unforgettable first impression. In a March 2011 rematch with Leonard Garcia, he locked up a second-round "twister" — a spine-cranking submission never before seen in the UFC — to even the score in highlight fashion. He backed it up with a seven-second knockout of Mark Hominick at UFC 140 in December 2011, then announced himself as a true contender in May 2012 by submitting unbeaten prospect Dustin Poirier with a fourth-round D'Arce choke in a Fight of the Year contender.

Title chase and a legend's later years

Those wins earned him a marquee shot at champion José Aldo at UFC 163 in August 2013, where a shoulder injury contributed to a fourth-round TKO loss. After a long layoff that included mandatory military service, Jung returned in 2017 to flatten Dennis Bermudez with a first-round knockout. He absorbed a buzzer-beating fifth-round elbow KO from Yair Rodriguez in 2018, then roared back with first-round TKOs of Renato Moicano and former champion Frankie Edgar in 2019. After a decision loss to Brian Ortega and a five-round win over Dan Ige, he challenged champion Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC featherweight title at UFC 273 in April 2022, falling to a fourth-round TKO. Jung retired in August 2023 after a third-round knockout loss to Max Holloway, leaving his gloves in the Octagon.

Fighting style

Jung was the rare fighter who was equally lethal standing and on the mat — eight of his 17 wins came by submission and six by knockout, an 82% finish rate that reflected a man who almost never left it to the judges. His pressure boxing produced some of the fastest and most violent finishes in featherweight history, while his submission creativity, headlined by the UFC's first twister, made him dangerous in any scramble. The flip side of that all-action approach was durability under fire: five of his eight losses came by knockout, the price of a willingness to trade with anyone.

Career highlights

• The UFC's first "twister" submission — submitted Leonard Garcia in 2011 with a move never before seen in the promotion.
• UFC featherweight title challenger — fought Alexander Volkanovski for the belt at UFC 273, the capstone of a contender's career.
• Signature finishes of elite names — stopped Dustin Poirier and former champ Frankie Edgar, headlining one of the sport's most entertaining résumés.