UFC Houston preview: Will 'The Korean Zombie' rise again?

There's no such thing as a tune-up fight in MMA.

The main event of Saturday's UFC Fight Night 104 will lend no shortage of credence to the oft-used phrase, as Chan Sung Jung will end a three-year layoff against longtime featherweight contender Dennis Bermudez. The 29-year-old Jung - affectionately known as "The Korean Zombie" - stepped away from the Octagon in October 2014 to complete two years of mandatory military service (for male citizens) in his native South Korea, with a couple of shoulder surgeries prolonging his hiatus.

Jung compiled a 3-1 UFC record before joining the army, the sole blemish a bid to dethrone Jose Aldo for the featherweight title at UFC 163, where he suffered a shoulder injury and a fourth-round TKO to boot. He may not have left the promotion on the highest of notes, but in three Octagon victories The Korean Zombie compiled a highlight reel that can trump many fighters' entire careers.

The featherweight's resume boasts a seven-second knockout of Mark Hominick and 2012's Fight of the Year, which culminated in a fourth-round tapout of Dustin Poirier. The crown jewel of Jung's UFC tenure came even earlier - in his promotional debut - when he tapped Leonard Garcia via twister, a submission that hasn't been seen in the Octagon since.

Watch: 4 fights to get you hyped for the return of 'The Korean Zombie'

Upon examination of Jung's brief, but enviable UFC resume, making his comeback against a veritable bulldog in Bermudez is of little surprise. "The Menace" takes back-to-back decisions over Rony Jason and Tatsuya Kawajiri into Saturday's headliner and never shies away from taking the fight to his opponent. Expect a barn burner worthy of Jung's fights of old.

Will 'Overkill' play spoiler in her UFC return?

In the main card's opening bout, Angela Hill will aim to put a bow on her own return - in the same city that hosted her last UFC showing - opposite strawweight contender Jessica Andrade.

Fight fans can forget the green "Overkill" that joined the "TUF 20" cast in 2014 and was later released by the promotion, as the 30-year-old takes a banner 2016 - including four straight wins and an Invicta FC strawweight title - into her meeting with "Bate Estaca."

The matchup was not without a few nuisances. A technicality in the USADA's anti-doping policy regarding fighters returning to the Octagon kept Hill from facing Andrade at UFC 207 in December, but luckily the MMA gods soon intervened. The promotion's anti-doping partner exempted Overkill from the rule, allowing her to flaunt the chops she's honed in her time away from the Octagon.

As in Jung's case, Hill gets no can in her comeback bout. Andrade has bulldozed her way through Jessica Penne and Joanne Calderwood since moving down to 115 pounds, and is expected to challenge reigning queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk next if she gets her hand raised on Saturday.

Rawlings' revenge

Saturday's prelims boast a narrative of their own, as Bec Rawlings gets a chance to even the score with fellow "TUF 20" contestant Tecia Torres.

Rawlings fell to Torres by unanimous decision in the season's elimination round, and while her professional record remained unscathed and Torres was later eliminated by future champion Carla Esparza, the Australian is undoubtedly relishing the chance to atone for her exhibition loss.

"Rowdy" - who missed the strawweight limit by 1.5 pounds on Friday - and Torres will both look to get back in the win column come fight night, as they are coming off losses to Paige VanZant and Rose Namajunas, respectively. Judging by their combined track record, expect a lot of leather to be traded in Houston.