Volkanovski keeps UFC featherweight belt with TKO of 'Korean Zombie'
Alexander Volkanovski's case as the second-best featherweight in UFC history continues to grow stronger.
The champion put on a clinic against Chan Sung Jung in his third title defense, defeating him via TKO at the 0:45 mark of the fourth round in the UFC 273 main event Saturday night in Jacksonville.
Volkanovski tied rival Max Holloway for the second-most defenses in the division at three.
Volkanovski rocked "The Korean Zombie" with two right hands to set up the finish. Though Jung did not fall to the ground, referee Herb Dean still waved off the fight.
"All week I said, 'I'm on another level right now. I can't be stopped.' And I just showed this," Volkanovski said in his postfight interview.
The stoppage came after Volkanovski dished out an incredible amount of punishment in the first three rounds. His speed, accuracy, and volume gave him the massive advantage over Jung.
Volkanovski was one step ahead of Jung in the first round, wobbling him with a one-two combination and then dropping him briefly with a left hand. The dominance continued in the second round, with Volkanovski battering Jung on the feet and landing a takedown.
Jung landed a few hard punches of his own in the third, but Volkanovski knocked him down late in the round and almost finished him with ground-and-pound shots.
"He actually took a lot more than I wanted him to," Volkanovski said. "I thought they could've stopped it earlier. I started feeling bad in there. But that's the sport we're in."
With the victory, Volkanovski improved his UFC record to 11-0. This was his first stoppage victory since a second-round TKO of former title challenger Chad Mendes in 2018.
The Australian won the belt with a unanimous decision over Holloway in 2019 and has since defended it against Holloway, Brian Ortega, and now Jung. Volkanovski is riding a 21-fight winning streak. His only loss came in his fourth professional bout in 2013.
Jung fell to 1-2 in his past three Octagon outings dating back to late 2020. He was coming off a win over Dan Ige last June. Jung stepped in to fight Volkanovski after Holloway withdrew from a scheduled trilogy bout due to an injury.
This was Jung's second attempt to claim the UFC featherweight title. He challenged longtime champion Jose Aldo in 2013, also losing by fourth-round TKO.