Sherdog’s Top 10: Most Aggressive Fighters

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9. Chan Sung Jung

“The Korean Zombie” showed the world how he earned his nickname in his American debut against Leonard Garcia at WEC 48, the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion’s first and only attempt at a pay-per-view show. Jung and Garcia threw hard leather at each other for all three rounds, with little concern for defense and seemingly even less regard for their well-being. The Korean was the more effective fighter throughout, but the judges somehow scored the fight for Garcia in one of the all-time great robberies.

A knockout courtesy of George Roop’s lengthy shinbone, one that came after a prolonged beating, showed Jung the error of his face-first, defense-free ways. Like many other young fighters with a penchant for forward motion, “Zombie” refined his game, maintaining the essence of that high-output, powerful, aggressive style while making his attacks less of a straightforward invitation to punch him in the face.

The fruits of that approach first appeared in Jung’s Ultimate Fighting Championship debut -- a rematch with Garcia. “Zombie” beat him up on the feet, staying aggressive and working from top position while mostly avoiding Garcia’s flurries and eventually finishing him with a slick twister. Jung needed only seven seconds to put down Mark Hominick in his next outing, and his high-octane scrap with Dustin Poirier was a strong contender for “Fight of the Year” in 2012.

“The Korean Zombie” is notable for the fact that his aggressiveness transcends a single phase of the fight. Whether at range, in the clinch or on the ground, Jung is always looking to produce offense and finish his opponent. Now serving a mandatory two-year term in the South Korean military, we can only hope that his potent game remains intact upon his return to the sport.

Number 8 » A wrestler in high school and college, he was known more for his wild aggressiveness and crazy punching power than for any sort of technical mastery, but especially in the early days of more-or-less legal MMA in the United States, he represented a special brand of marketable ass-kicking.