Brian Ortega impressed tonight in the main event of UFC Fight Night 180 by managing to outstrike ‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung in every single round to emerge with a unanimous decision victory.
Round One:
The main event is underway on Fight Island.
The Korean Zombie throws off a few hands, but they miss. Leg kick from Ortega. Body punch from TKZ. light inside leg kick from Ortega.
The Korean Zombie taking the center of the Octagon here early in the fight. Low leg kick from him. Body punch from Ortega.
Outside leg kick from Ortega. Now a leg kick from The Korean Zombie. Oblique kick from Ortega. Nice straight right from The Korean Zombie. Leg kick again from Ortega.
Nice right hand for Ortega. he lands a leg kick again. The Korean Zombie looking to work a leg kick of his own. Body punch from The Korean Zombie and almost catches a kick that comes in return. Glancing right hand from Ortega.
Ortega with a body punch. The Korean Zombie with a leg kick. Ortega two jabs and then a left hand. Ortega with a hook.
Ortega lands a punch and The Korean Zombie stumbles to the mat for a moment, but gets back up and seems ok. Ortega remaining patient.
The Korean Zombie with a head kick that’s blocked. Ortega throwing a punch. The Korean Zombie lands a hard right hand. Leg kicks from Ortega. High kick attempt from Ortega. Hook for The Korean Zombie.
Body kick attempt from TKZ is caught and Ortega looks to land a punch off of it, but The Korean Zombie spins and partially catches him with an elbow as the round draws to a close.
Round Two:
Low inside leg kick from TKZ. Ortega now returns with one of his own that lands nicely. A couple of hooks from TKZ. There was an uppercut in there as they traded briefly at close range.
Jab for The Korean Zombie. Ortega suddenly in on a single leg, but The Korean Zombie does a great job of getting that limb free and keeping this one upright.
Overhand left from Ortega. Nice one-two from TKZ. Leg kick from Ortega that TKZ was reaching for. Front kick to the body from Ortega.
Kick to the knee from Ortega. One-two for The Zombie. He comes in again and lands a nice uppercut. Body kick for Ortega.
Side kick to the body from Ortega. jab for TKZ. Head kick attempt from Ortega. TKZ rushes in and Ortega cracks him with a well timed spinning elbow that floors him.
TKZ shows his incredible chin to get back up after that and start slugging it out with Ortega. The Zombie lands a nice strike to make sure Ortega knows he’s still in this.
Ortega closes the distance and works to the mat in the final moments of the round.
Round Three:
Inside leg kick from TKZ. Now an outside leg kick. he lands it again. Body kick from TKZ. Grazing right hand from him.
Knee kick from Ortega. Inside leg kick for TKZ. Right hook from TKZ, but body kick in return from Ortega.
Side kick upstairs attempted by Ortega. Side kick to the body now. Then a punch. Two hard left hooks from Ortega. Now a jab.
side kick again from Ortega. Now one to the outside of the leg. Jab for TKZ and one in return from Ortega. Another good jab from Ortega. Now a side kick. He lands a hard body punch.
Outside leg kick for Ortega. he reaches for a leg, but doesn’t commit to a takedown. jab for TKZ. Head kick attempt from Ortega is blocked. Outside leg kick. TKZ with a leg kick.
Inside leg kick from TKZ. Single leg attempt from Ortega, but TKZ stuffs it. Ortega lands a hard punch that snaps his opponent’s head back.
Spinning elbow attempt from Ortega in the dying seconds of the round, but it misses this time around.
Round Four:
Body kick from TKZ. Head kick attempt now. Light outside leg kick from Ortega. TKZ trying to close off the cage here.
Body kick from TKZ, but Ortega caught that one. He couldn’t do anything with that though. Nice left hand for Ortega. He feels out with the jab and lands a left again, but not as clean as the previous one.
Hard body kick from Ortega. Inside leg kick from him. He goes into a single leg again and TKZ is partially stuffing it, but there’s a clash of heads in there that causes a cut to the side of TKZ’s left eye. Ortega gets the takedown, but it’s not long before they get back up. TKZ wiping at his eye and that forces a brief stoppage, but he’s ok to continue.
Back to striking range they go. jab for TKZ. Leg kick from Ortega. Inside leg kick from him. Body punch from TKZ.
Body kick from Zombie but it’s caught and Ortega lands punches. left and right hooks from TKZ.
Kick to the knee from Ortega. Nice jab from TKZ. Body kick from TKZ and just wrenches is kick free from his opponent’s clutches. TKZ with a leg kick. Ortega in on a single leg. He’s working hard for it, but TKZ does well to stay upright. Ortega misses with a spinning elbow.
Round Five:
Outside leg kick from Ortega. TKZ feeling out with the left. Another leg kick from Ortega. Ortega faking with a takedown.
Right hand for TKZ. Now a big one-two for Ortega. Jab for TKZ. Good straight left for Ortega. Another clean jab for him now. He mixes things up nicely with a body kick.
Hard body kick for TKZ. Body punch and then a punch upstairs that doesn’t really land. Ortega with the jab. Now a left hand. Leg kick.
Short flurry from TKZ and lands a left hand. Jab from Ortega. Knee kick from Ortega. Another jab for him. Single leg attempt from Ortega, but gives up on it quickly.
Snapping jab from Ortega. Left hook for TKZ. TKZ walks into another jab. Two hooks land for TKZ. One-two lands for him.
Again TKZ lands a left and right. Body kick for Ortega. Two more hard punches from TKZ. Ortega on the back foot a bit pumping out the jab. He lands a nice one.
Final 10 seconds and another jab for Ortega. He lands a left and right. Now a head kick attempt. The bell sounds just as Ortega was winding up to launch a final spinning elbow.
Decision:
Ortega’s two year layoff has clearly been put to good use as he looked a far more assured striker tonight than ever before and managed to get the better of TKZ for much of this five-rounder, even dropping him with a spinning elbow!
As such it’s no surprise that Ortega emerges with a well-earned unanimous decision victory (50-45 x3).
