Nam Phan out, Korean Zombie in for Rematch with Leonard Garcia

Dan Rose | March 17, 2011 | 4 Replies

They say lightening doesn’t strike twice in the same place. Well, Leonard Garcia and Chan Sung Jung will try to refabricate their 2010 Fight of the Year thriller inside the Key Arena in Seattle, March 26^th at UFC Fight Night Live.

The last time Leonard Garcia (15-6-1) and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (10-3) met, it was an out-and-out melee. If you’re ever looking to acquaint someone to the sport, it’s on a very shortlist of fights to snag a prospective fan. They brawled until the final bell, and a split decision loss burned the Zombie, but at the same time made him an immediate star in the sport of MMA.

Nam Phan, who participated in season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter, lost his debut in the UFC to Leonard Garcia via split decision. That split decision, like many Garcia decisions, curiously went the wrong way and Nam Phan was set to try and get his receipt at UFC Fight Night. However, an undisclosed injury has forced him from the card and he’ll have to wait to right the judge’s wrong on that one. Another man who was on the bitter end of a judge’s verdict was Chan Sung Jung, who many felt had defeated Garcia, only to see the judges disagree. Well, Phan’s injury will prove advantageous for Jung, who needs a win to stick around in the UFC one would think. As the loser of three of his past four, there’s no room for a blunder for “The Korean Zombie.”

Leonard Garcia, on the other hand, seems to live a fortunate life inside the cage. In his past five fights, he’s 3-1-1 but could definitely be 0-5 without much fuss. Garcia is the one fighter from the Greg Jackson camp who never seems to advance his game. He usually fires one punch at a time, and it’s typically an overthrown sloppy right hand. That said, he is tougher than a two dollar steak and nobody can put him away. There is one amazing thing about Leonard Garcia fighting, and that is you can take it to the bank that it’s going to be an epic clash, and likely fight of the night.

The two have one definitive bout between them already and there is absolutely no reason to assume they won’t do it again in Seattle. There’s truly not much build up necessary in this match up. Just say, Leonard Garcia versus The Korean Zombie out loud and people know the score. You know what you’re going to get and more importantly, you know what you’re not going to get. You’re definitely not going to be bored. Here’s hoping the second verse can truly be the same as the first.

UFC Fight Night Seattle is live from the Key Arena in Seattle, WA on March 26^th, 2011. The event is headlined by Phil Davis facing Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson facing Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy.

Tags: Chan Sung Jung, Korean Zombie, Leonard Garcia, MMA, Nam Phan, UFC, UFC Fight Night