FRANKIE EDGAR VS. CHAN SUNG JUNG
These veteran featherweight contenders were slated to meet last November in Denver, Colorado, but Edgar was forced out with a bicep injury and the fight world was sad. But Yair Rodriguez stepped in, he and Jung went to war, resulting in one of the best fights and craziest knockouts of the year and fight fans rejoiced.
Now, a handful of days before Christmas, we’ll finally see Edgar and “The Korean Zombie” locked in the Octagon together.
While it comes as a result of Brian Ortega suffering a knee injury — and puts Edgar’s bantamweight debut in January against Cory Sandhagen in jeopardy — this remains a tremendous fight that carries tremendous significance, even if “The Answer” is set to depart the division in the new year.
Jung is coming off a first-round knockout win over Renato Moicano that solidified his place in the Top 10 and with a victory over Edgar, the South Korean veteran would vault right back into the title conversation in the 145-pound weight class. As for Edgar, this bout gives him the opportunity to depart for bantamweight after a victory over a Top 10 fixture and show everyone that he still has plenty left in the tank as he embarks on this latest adventure.
There are significant risks for both men given where they’re at in their respective careers and the way things are shaping up in the ultra-tough featherweight division, but this one should be a spirited affair from start to finish and position the winner for big things once 2020 begins.