UFC on ESPN+ 24: Edgar vs. Korean Zombie Full Preview

In 2019, UFC hosted 42 MMA events across the world. They touched down in well established markets like New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Brazil and more, but they also visited growing markets like Denmark, Mexico and Singapore. In the final event of the year, and decade, UFC heads to Korea for the second time in its history.

The country has a niche MMA market, including regional promotions like ROAD FC and Angel’s Fighting Championship. No doubt they have produced prominent names in MMA, including the “Stun Gun” Dong Hyun Kim, A Sol Kwon and Seo Hee Ham. Arguably the most well-known however is Chan Sung Jung, better known as “The Korean Zombie.” After serving his mandatory military time in South Korea, Jung started his second UFC run in 2017. Now 2-1 in his campaign, he goes up against Frankie Edgar in the main event of UFC Busan.

Live from the Sajik Arena (사직실내체육관), in Busan (부산시), Korea (한국), UFC concludes it’s action-packed 2019 with UFC on ESPN+ 23. Starting at the ripe time of 2AM EST, the prelims for UFC Busan features seven bouts.

Bout 1: Heili Alateng (알라탕 헬리) (13-7-1) vs. Ryan Benoit (라이언 브누아) (10-5) (Bantamweight)

In the first bout of the show, Ryan Benoit will make a return to the UFC after a two-year layoff to face Heili Alateng. Benoit is 3-3 in the UFC, being absent since 2017, where he defeated Ashkan Mokhatarian with a head kick. Alateng is familiar to Korea, having been a frequent fighter in ROAD FC prior to being scouted by the UFC. He won his UFC debut against Danaa Batgerel back in August, going the distance with the Mongolian fighter.

Bout 2: Amanda Lemos (아만다 레모스) (6-1-1) vs. Miranda Granger (미란다 그레인저) (7-0) (Flyweight)

Similar to the first fight of the evening, Amanda Lemos comes back from an extensive break to face Miranda Granger in this fight. Lemos last fought in 2017, losing to Leslie Smith. That was Lemos’ first fight in the UFC, attempting to bounce back from whatever negative momentum still is there from the dated loss. Granger got her debut jitters out of the way in August, getting a win over Hannah Goldy. Granger had previously fought in regional promotion CFFC. She has stayed undefeated throughout her professional and amateur career.

Bout 3: Said Nurmagomedov (사이드 누르마고메도프) (13-1) vs. Raoni Barcelos (라오니 바르셀로스) (14-1) (Bantamweight)

In a fight that feels buried deep down this card, up-and-coming Said Nurmagomedov and Raoni Barcelos are pitted against each other in a bantamweight bout. Nurmagomedov is 2-0 in the UFC, prevailing over Justin Scoggins and Ricardo Ramos. Barcelos is 3-0, having recently defeated Carlos Huachin via punches.

Bout 4: Alexandre Pantoja (21-4) (알렉산드레 판토자) vs. Matt Schnell (14-4) (맷 슈넬) (Flyweight)

Matt Schnell took a little time to get on his feet in the UFC. He lost to Tim Elliott on The Ultimate Fighter Season 24, then lost two times on other shows. But, in late 2017, he snapped his losing streak and started what is now a four-fight winning streak. Attempting to move it to five, Schnell goes up against Alexandre Pantoja. “The Cannibal” most recently lost to Deiveson Figueiredo via decision at UFC 240, breaking a three-fight winning streak he had before. Pantoja has a solid 5-2 record in the UFC.

Bout 5: Omar Morales (오마르 모랄레스) (8-0) vs. Dong Hyun Ma (마동현) (16-10-3) (Lightweight)

The first Korean fighter on the card, Dong Hyun Ma, has a tall order: end Omar Morales’ undefeated streak. Morales is a Dana White’s Contender Series winner, making his debut on this card. He has also fought in Bellator in the past, taking out Troy Nawrocki in under a minute at Bellator 204. Ma has fought in the UFC since 2015, going 3-4 in the promotion. “The Maestro” will walk into this fight on a two-fight losing streak, recently getting stopped by Scott Holtzman in August.

Bout 6: Suman Mokhtarian (수만 모크타리안) (8-1) vs. Seung Woo Choi (최승우) (7-3) (Featherweight)

As the prelims near their end, two fighters will compete who have never tasted victory in the UFC. Suman Mokhatarian lost in The Ultimate Fighter Season 27, and most recently lost in the first round to Sodiq Yusuff. Korean fighter Seung Woo Choi debuted earlier this year, losing to Movsar Evloev and Gavin Tucker. He had previously been successful in Korean promotion TFC.

Bout 7: Ciryl Gane (시릴 가네) (5-0) vs. Tanner Boser (태너 보저) (17-5-1) (Heavyweight)

In the featured fight of the preliminary card, undefeated Ciryl Gane faces Tanner Boser. Gane debuted earlier this year, prevailing over Raphael Pessoa and Dontale Mayes. He had previously fought in Canadian promotion TKO. Boser won his UFC debut two months back, going the distance against Daniel Spitz. Before then, he had competed many times in ACB.

Bout 8: Kyung Ho Kang (강경호) (16-8) vs. Pingyuan Liu (리우 핑유안) (15-5) (Bantamweight)

Kicking off the main card, “Mr. Perfect” Kyung Ho Kang will face Pingyuan Liu. Coming from recognized Korean gym “Team MAD,” Kang has been a part of the UFC since 2013. A win at this show would give him a three-fight winning streak. That would make a three-way tie with his two other three-fight winning streaks for most consecutive wins in his career. But that’s looking quite ahead of time. First, he has to defeat Liu, who is no walk-through opponent. While he recently lost to Jonathan Martinez in July, the fight ended his 10-fight winning streak which dates back to his career in WLF.

Bout 9: Jun Yong Park (박준용) (10-4) vs. Marc-Andre Barriault (마크-안드레 바리올트) (11-3) (Middleweight)

The next fight sees Jun Yong Park and Marc-Andre Barriault battle for their first win in the promotion. Park lost his debut to Anthony Hernandez in August, getting caught in an anaconda choke in the second minute. Barriault lost twice this year, more recently in a split decision to Krzysztof Jotko. He wrapped up a six-fight undefeated stint in TKO before being signed by the UFC.

Bout 10: Da Un Jung (정다운) (12-2) vs. Mike Rodriguez (10-4) (마이크 로드리게스) (Light Heavyweight)

Following a strong debut in August from Da Un Jung, he returns on this card to face Mike Rodriguez. Jung’s UFC debut saw him choke Khadis Ibragimov to win the fight. He had previously fought in many promotions, mainly Japanese promotion HEAT. Rodriguez recently lost to John Allan via decision, making him 1-2 in the promotion. He found himself in the UFC after getting a stoppage victory in the first season of Dana White’s Contender Series.

Bout 11: Doo Ho Choi (최두호) (14-3) vs. Charles Jourdain (찰스 조르단) (9-2) (Featherweight)

A couple of fights after gym-mate Kyung Ho Kang fights, Doo Ho Choi will be put up against Charles “Air” Jourdain in a featherweight class. Choi has been out of the spotlight lately, recently losing to Jeremy Stephens via punches in early 2018. Before then, his most recent fight was a loss to Cub Swanson in 2016. Attempting to break his streak, “The Korean Superboy” will be put up against Jourdain, who lost in his UFC debut against Des Green back in May. Coincidentally, like many other fighters on this card, Jourdain fought frequently in Canadian promotion TKO before being signed to the UFC.

Bout 12: Volkan Oezdemir (볼칸 우즈데미르) (16-4) v.s Aleksandar Rakic (알렉산더 라키치) (12-1) (Light Heavyweight)

The co-main event of the show sees light heavyweight contender Aleksandar Rakic get put up against one of the weight classes gatekeepers, Volkan Oezdemir. Rakic is 4-0 since debuting in the UFC, more recently getting a win over Jimi Manuwa in under a minute due to a head kick. Oezdemir recently put an ending to a three-fight losing streak, stopping Ilir Latifi in two rounds. To be absolutely fair, Oezdemir’s losses came against title challengers like Daniel Cormier, Anthony Smith and Dominick Reyes. Whether he will allow Rakic to add his name to the list of winners will be seen on Saturday.

Bout 13: Chan Sung Jung (정찬성) (15-5) vs. Frankie Edgar (프랭키 에드가) (23-7-1) (Featherweight)

The main event of the evening sees Chan Sung Jung, or, “The Korean Zombie” face Frankie Edgar in a five-round fight. This matchup only came together in recent weeks, as Jung’s original opponent was Brian Ortega. He pulled out of the fight recently however, citing a torn ACL taking him out of action. Edgar stepped up to the plate, and here we are. Jung left the UFC limelight in 2014 to undergo two years of military service in Korea. He returned in 2017, stopping Dennis Bermudez in under three minutes with punches. His first lost in his recent run came against Yair Rodriguez, who landed a literal last-second elbow to knock Jung out in a five-round bout. Jung bounced back however, recently defeating Renato Moicano in just under a minute with strikes.

Edgar’s last fight was for the Featherweight Championship. While he went all 25 minutes with now-former champion Max Holloway, he did not prevail. Before then, he beat Cub Swanson. He was originally slated to face Jung in 2018, but was replaced due to a torn bicep. Edgar is one of the most experienced fighters in UFC’s history, with a record of 17-7-1 in the promotion.

After this event, UFC will be absent from events for four weeks. When returning, UFC will present UFC 246. Currently scheduled to headline the card is Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone in a five-round non-championship fight. In the meantime however, there will most certainly still be MMA. Bellator will debut in Japan on the 28th, with Fedor Emelianenko and Rampage Jackson main eventing the card. New Year’s Eve will have a double header with RIZIN in Japan and PFL having their grand finals in New York. ONE Championship will also hold a big card in Thailand to kick off the new year’s tour of MMA events.

UFC 240: Holloway vs. Edgar Live Coverage

On Saturday night, UFC held their pay-per-view “UFC 240.” The event included Max Holloway’s third title fight in eight months, facing Frankie Edgar in a Featherweight Championship bout. Holloway’s last fight was a loss to Dustin Poirier, dropping his Interim Lightweight Championship. Holloway’s last defense of the Featherweight Championship was back in December against Brian Ortega. Despite his Hawaiian background, Holloway claims he has “home court advantage” in this Canadian event. His bout will be the fifth time he’s headlined a Canadian card, tying himself with Georges St-Pierre.

In the co-main event was Cris Cyborg in what some predict will be her farewell fight in the UFC, as the bout was the last on her contract. She faced Canadian Felicia Spencer, an undefeated prospect who is only in her second fight in the UFC after running through Invicta FC. Nine other bouts opened the evening, so let’s start the coverage by breaking down the preliminary bouts.

Bout 1: Kyle Stewart (11-2) vs. Erik Koch (15-6) (Welterweight)

Starting on UFC Fight Pass was the early prelims of the show. Kyle Stewart and Erik Koch battled in the welterweight division. Early on, Koch was coming forward with powerful strikes. They clinched up against the cage for a minute or so. Stewart shot for a takedown but Koch turned it into another clinch against the cage. He tried once more but wasn’t successful as the round was winding down. Stewart was walking down Koch more at the start of the second, landing a hard right hook. They clinched up against the cage again. Koch brought the fight to the ground a few times. They stood up shortly after the first two times, but the third time Koch was very dominant on the ground for a minute or so. Both fighters were quite tired as the round concluded. Stewart had some good knees in clinch at the start of the third round. Koch landed a takedown in the second minute. Koch was on top once again as the round ended. He ended the round strong with strikes and choke attempts. The judges unanimously gave the fight to Erik Koch (30-27, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Stewart	9	9	9	27
Koch	10	10	10	30

Bout 2: Gillian Robertson (6-3) vs. Sarah Frota (9-1) (Flyweight)

In the first flyweight bout of the evening, Gillian Robertson fought Sarah Frota. Robertson was the first of many Canadians to fight on the card. Moments into the bout, Robertson landed a takedown. Frota was in bottom position but was the dominant fighter, putting Robertson in a submission hold at one point. Robertson escaped and landed hard strikes which cut open Frota’s head. Robertson scored another takedown at the start of the second round. Robertson landed enough elbows on the ground in top position that the referee intervened, giving her the win.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Robertson	10
Frota	9

Bout 3: Alexandre Pantoja (21-3) (#3) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (15-1) (#4) (Flyweight)

The ESPN prelims kicked off with a high profile flyweight bout between Alexandre Pantoja and Deiveson Figueiredo. After looking sharp in stand-up for the first minute, Figueiredo landed a takedown. When they stood up, both were swinging hard. Pantoja’s punches came through more in the second round. There was many exchanges where both fighters got their strikes in. Pantoja got a takedown but Figueiredo got up quickly after. They continued to swing for the fences until the round ended. Pantoja got a cut near his left eye during the round. Pantoja’s face was a mess in the third round. The final round was mostly stand-up, with Figueiredo being the fresher fighter. The fight went the distance with the judges giving the win the Deiveson Figueiredo (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Pantoja	9	10	9	28
Figueiredo	10	9	10	29

Bout 4: Gavin Tucker (10-1) vs. Seung Woo Choi (7-2) (Featherweight)

In the second of six Canadian fighter bouts of the evening, Gavin Tucker fought Seung Woo Choi. Tucker scored a takedown in the second minute of the bout. Tucker stayed on him after he got up. Tucker got on Choi’s back early in the second round. While Tucker had Choi’s back on the ground, he landed a knee to the head of Choi, who was clearly grounded. A point was deducted due to this. He also lost position, as the fight resumed in stand-up. Choi landed a trip in the final round when Tucker had him up against the fence. In the final two minutes, Tucker took Choi’s back and put in a rear naked choke which made Choi tap out. In what could have been a scorecard nightmare for Tucker, the crisis was avoided as he got a stoppage.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Tucker	10	9
Woo Choi	9	9

Bout 5: Hakeem Dawodu (9-1-1) vs. Yoshinori Horie (8-1) (Featherweight)

In the next bout, Canadian fighter Hakeem Dawodu fought Japanese fighter Yoshinori Horie. Horie was a Pancrase fighter before, with this bout being his debut in the UFC. Horie circled the perimeter throughout the first round. He wasn’t consistently landing, but had strong punches every once in a while. His style of striking was very wild and hard to control while Dawodu was very textbook. The second round was more of the same except Horie wasn’t getting his shots in. So instead, it was Dawodu constantly advancing and periodically landing strikes. In the third round Dawodu started to string together combinations of punches. It was by far his best round yet. In the final minute, Dawodu landed a head kick which ended the bout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Dawodu	9	10
Horie	10	9

Bout 6: Alexis Davis (19-9) (#7) vs. Viviane Araujo (7-1) (Flyweight)

Finishing off the prelims was Alexis Davis facing Viviane Araujo. Two real prospects in the flyweight division. The first round had Araujo out-striking Davis. Davis was mostly in top position through the second round. In the third round they stayed in stand-up, where Araujo went back to being dominant. Davis looked quite roughed up by the time the fight ended while Araujo seemed fresh. Viviane Araujo won via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Davis	9	10	9	28
Araujo	10	9	10	29

Bout 7: Krzysztof Jotko (20-4) vs. Marc-Andre Barriualt (11-2)

The first fight on the PPV portion of the card was Krzysztof Jotko versus Marc-Andre Barriualt. In the first round Jotko had Barriault up against the cage in a clinch for a significant amount of time. Jotko landed good knees in the clinch as well. The second round felt like an inactive and closer round than the first. Both fighters had their moments in the second. The fight went the distance after another slow paced round. With a split decision, Krzysztof Jotko got the victory (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Jotko	10	10	9	29
Barriault	9	9	10	28

Bout 8: Olivier Aubin-Mercier (11-4) vs. Arman Tsarukyan (13-2) (Lightweight)

In the second last bout that featured a Canadian, Olivier Aubin-Mercier faced Arman Tsarukyan. For most of the first round, Tsarukyan out-wrested Aubin-Mercier. The crowd voiced their displeasure as the first round concluded. The second round was mostly stand-up, with Aubin-Mercier having a good strikes. Tsarukyan had a dominant final round, staying in top position on the ground for most of the round. Arman Tsarukyan got the unanimous decision victory (29-28, 29-28 & 29-29).

My Scorecard:

My Scorecard	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Aubin-Mercier	9	10	9	28
Tsarukyan	10	9	10	29

Bout 9: Geoff Neal (11-2) vs. Niko Price (13-2) (Welterweight)

Geoff Neal and Niko Price fought in the next bout. Neal landed a slam takedown early in the round. Later on, Neal was dropped by a left hook and a clash of heads. Neal landed another takedown as the round was winding down. In the second round there was a strong exchange of punches from both fighters. Price took Neal to the ground and tried for a guillotine but wasn’t successful. Neal landed punches and elbows from top position until the referee stepped in.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Neal	10
Price	9

Bout 10: Cris Cyborg (20-2) vs. Felicia Spencer (7-0) (Featherweight)

In the co-main event was Cris Cyborg versus Felicia Spencer. Cyborg swarming Spencer early on with punches. Cyborg was cut open from elbows to the head. The crowd chanting “Let’s go Spencer” in the second round. The second round saw the fight go to the ground, with Cyborg being in top position twice. The second time she landed good shots. They stood back up and continued to strike. Spencer continued to show off her chin. The third round was Cyborg’s best, with a continuation and increased intensity of punches and kicks. While Spencer lost, her toughness was tested, and she certainly passed that test. All three judges gave Cyborg the win (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Cyborg	10	10	10	30
Spencer	9	9	9	27

Bout 11: Max Holloway (20-4) vs. Frankie Edgar (23-6-1) (UFC Featherweight Championship)

Finally, the main event of the evening was Max Holloway attempting to defend his UFC Featherweight Championship against Frankie Edgar. The first round was purely stand-up with both fighters having their moments. Edgar had a takedown attempt defended in the second minute of the round. The second round was quite similar. Holloway defended two more takedown attempts. The final moments of the round were good for Holloway, with him landing a spinning back kick to the body. In the final minutes of the third round, Holloway came forward with good combos that seemingly hurt Edgar. While recovering, Edgar landed his first takedown of the fight. Numerous attempts in the third were blocked before. Edgar started to get a bloody nose in the fourth round. After a final close striking round, the fight went the distance. The judges gave the fight to Max Holloway unanimously (50-45, 50-45 & 48-47).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Holloway	9	10	10	10	10	49
Edgar	10	9	9	9	9	46