Brian Ortega vs "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung is the main event at UFC Fight Night betting on Saturday, October 17 at Flash Forum on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
This fight will serve as a title eliminator for a pair of aggressive featherweight contenders. Jung is currently the No. 4-ranked featherweight but is a -194 favorite against Ortega (+156), who is ranked two spots higher at No. 2.
We break down the UFC betting odds for this featherweight battle and give our best picks and predictions for UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. The Korean Zombie.
Ortega vs The Korean Zombie betting odds
| Method of victory | Brian Ortega | Chan Sung Jung |
|---|---|---|
| Win outright | +156 | -194 |
| Win by KO/TKO | +850 | +125 |
| Win by points | +750 | +380 |
| Win by submission | +320 | +1,400 |
| Draw | +5,000 | +5,000 |
Odds courtesy of FanDuel
Ortega vs The Korean Zombie betting preview
This fight should be very heated after an incident in March when Ortega slapped Jung's translator over remarks that he had been ducking The Korean Zombie. Conveniently, Jung was in the washroom when this happened, so Ortega may have been ducking him at that time as well.
The 29-year-old Ortega hasn't fought in almost two years, with his previous bout against Max Holloway coming all the way back in December of 2018. He lost that title fight in a fourth-round TKO, which is the only loss on his resume.
Prior to that defeat, Ortega had won six straight fights at the UFC level — all by finish. Ortega is a high-end grappler with some of the slickest and most entertaining submissions around, but he's also more than willing to mix it up on his feet.
Chan Sung Jung is fresh off back-to-back TKO wins over Frankie Edgar and Renato Moicano, as the 33-year-old stepped away from fighting for more than three years to fulfill his mandatory military service in South Korea.
Since returning to the octagon, Jung has gone 3-1 with his only loss an amazing last-second knockout elbow from Yair Rodriguez in one of the most exciting fights ever. The Korean Zombie gets his nickname from his incredible ability to keep coming forward and attacking, while seemingly shrugging off his opponent's strikes.
Ortega vs The Korean Zombie tale of the tape
| Brian Ortega | Chan Sung Jung | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 | Age | 33 |
| 5-foot-8 | Height | 5-foot-7 |
| 145 lbs | Weight | 145 lbs |
| 69 inches | Reach | 72 inches |
| 14-1-0 (3 KO) | Record | 16-5-0 (6 KO) |
Ortega vs The Korean Zombie UFC predictions and betting picks
PREDICTION: Jung to win (-194) - Ortega is one of the most dangerous grapplers in the UFC, especially off his back, but he doesn't shoot as often as he should. He had two takedowns against Holloway but didn't have a single successful takedown in each of his previous six fights and can consider himself fortunate that a few of his opponents chose to take things to the mat.
Don't expect Jung to be that foolish: the Korean Zombie has an underrated ground game (with eight wins coming by submission) but prefers to keep things standing up where he has strong takedown defense and some of the best striking in the division.
While Ortega has improved as a striker, he isn't anywhere near as polished as Jung when it comes to boxing and his defense still needs work. The 22-month layoff won't help either. Keep in mind that Jung was just seconds away from a decision victory over Rodriguez which would make him 4-0 since his return to the octagon.
PREDICTION: Jung to win via KO/TKO +125 - Ortega was absolutely pieced up by Holloway and despite stoppage wins against Edgar, Moicano, Cub Swanson and Diego Brandao, he got the worst of exchanges when on his feet.
Swanson had a 60-24 advantage on Ortega in significant strikes while Moicano was at 109-65 before he unwisely decided to take down Ortega and promptly received a guillotine. Jung is a better striker than either of those fighters and has plenty of knockout power as well.
PREDICTION: Fight to go Under 3.5 rounds - While fighters in the 145-pound division aren't usually known for their stopping power, these two are an exception. Jung's fights usually don't go the distance, with 14 of his 16 wins coming via stoppage. And since returning to the UFC, all three of his wins were first-round knockouts.
In eight UFC fights, Ortega has never had to go to the judge's cards and the title bout against Hollaway was the only one to go even three full rounds. With two aggressive fighters that can end this bout at any time, take the Under 3.5 rounds.
