“I think I thought Holloway was an easy opponent (before) because he only strikes. When I saw that (Hong) Jun-young had a hard time copying Holloway, I felt that he (Holloway) wasn’t the world champion for nothing,” he said, adding, “I think I found a lot of answers. “I think if I fight like this, I have a good chance of winning. It’s very different to see it and experience it. As always, I feel confident in my momentum. I’ve been preparing a lot and I’m 100 percent confident right now.”

The No. 8-ranked American mixed martial arts (MMA) organization featherweight will lock horns with the No. 1-ranked Holloway on Nov. 26 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Holloway has easily defeated the featherweight division’s top contenders in the past, and many are predicting a victory for him. However, Chung says, “When people think of doing my best, they might think I’m weak-willed, but that’s not the case at all. Doing my best is the best thing I can say. And I will win.”

When asked if he would like to fight UFC superstar Conor McGregor (IRL), he said, “I had a chance to fight McGregor a long time ago when I was fighting Jose Aldo and doing public service. It didn’t happen because of public service, and it’s a shame I didn’t fight him then. I don’t think I’m in a position to fight McGregor now, he’s moved up a level, he’s moved up to lightweight. Now, as a McGregor fan, it’s a different weight class (for me). I don’t think I can fight him now.”

-If the strategy works, how many rounds do you think you can finish the fight?
I can’t talk about it in detail. Counters are definitely part of my strategy. As I always say, I can only fight well if I think it will go to the end of five rounds. If I think it’s going to be a quick finish and it’s not, I can finish him.

-On if you ever get scared in the Octagon.
It’s always like that, it’s always scary. Not because I’m scared of my opponent, not because I feel like I’m fighting a tiger, but because of all the things I’ll be disappointed in myself if I lose this fight.

-Holloway on what he called the “fight of the year” ahead of this fight.
I’ve said it before, but I think there’s going to be a lot of toe-to-toe, or should I say toe-to-toe, when I fight Holloway. He did so well in the new gym. Everything was possible in the hotel. I didn’t have to do anything unnecessary. I can eat, sleep, and work out there, so I’m in great shape.

-Holloway on his strategy.
I can’t go into details, but the counter was one of the things I prepared. I think the most important thing is to go in there (to the Octagon) thinking that it’s going to be a very hard fight. I think the most important thing is to have a strong mindset and not show any signs of struggle and not give up.

-Will this be your last fight with Holloway?
I talked to (broadcasting company) tvN the other day and they told me that if I don’t come out, they can’t host the UFC in Korea and they don’t want to do it. I’m thinking about doing my last fight in Korea. I think if I do it in Korea, Korean fighters can get a lot of popularity and it can help them get new contracts, etc. If possible, I would like to fight my last fight in Korea regardless of the outcome of this fight.

-On whether he would ever want to fight McGregor.
I had a chance to fight McGregor back in the day when I was fighting Aldo and doing public service. It didn’t happen because of public service, and it’s a shame I didn’t fight him then. I don’t think I’m in a position to fight McGregor now, his level is too high, he’s moved up to lightweight. Now, as a McGregor fan, I’m in a different weight class. I don’t think I can fight him now.

-On how the Holloway you saw then differed from the Holloway you saw in preparation.
I think I thought he was an easy opponent because he just strikes. When I saw that (Hong) Jun-young was struggling to copy Holloway, I realized that he (Holloway) is not the world champion for nothing. I think I found a lot of answers. If I fight like this, I think I have a good chance of winning. It’s very different to see it and experience it.

-On whether he’s confident of victory.
It’s always the same, but the more I train, the more I feel confident in my performance. I’ve prepared a lot and I’m 100% confident now.

-If you were to play your last match in Korea, who would you want to play against?
I hope it’s someone with name value. I can’t think of one right now.

A showdown with Holloway could be a golden opportunity for Chung.(Photo: Chung Chansung SNS)

-You had a long layoff due to injury, how does it feel to be in the ring?메이저사이트
I would love to fight more often, but it’s also a business. There are hundreds of millions at stake in a match, so I think about it a lot. A lot of things happen behind the scenes. It was a situation where I couldn’t book a match with just anyone. It was the best I could do, and I ended up with such a good opponent.

-I wonder how long I’ll be in the Octagon and what my goals are.
I don’t think I have much time left. I’ve seen other athletes become champions and go beyond at 40, but I think everyone has different peaks and troughs. If I’m really honest, I realize when I’m working out that I’m not what I used to be, but I can still move well and I can still overcome. I think I can be a champion, and I think it’s still possible. I think this is the match to evaluate whether I can do that or not.

-Holloway is known to have no weaknesses.
First of all, he throws a lot of punches. I think there’s a lot of techniques in there that I’m going to be able to counter, and I’ve prepared a lot of those things. I don’t think he has any weaknesses, but I think he does. I don’t know if my game plan is going to work or not, but I’m going to have to go in thinking it does.

-After the Volkanovsky match, you said that you would never be champion.
That was just a thought I had as soon as the match was over. I don’t know if I meant it when I said what everyone expects me to say – congratulations, I did my best, etc. I think I just wanted to be honest at that moment. When I look back on it a little later, I realize that there was a reason I said what I said, and if I still had those feelings, I would have retired.

UFC fighter Chan Sung Jung. (Photo: UFC)

-Now that you’re back in the Octagon after a year, have you noticed any changes?
I feel my strength has improved a lot. I’ve been doing what I think is best for my conditioning, and I think it’s improved.

-What are your opponent’s strengths and what have you prepared specifically for?
Too many. His striking is so good, his punching and wrestling defense is good, his stamina is good, and I prepared counters for those things. I don’t think it’s incredibly good when I think about it. I guess I’ll have to try it out against Holloway once.

-On her preparation for the match with Holloway.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately that you can train two athletes the same, feed them the same, put them to bed the same, and one of them will win. That’s the beauty of sports. Inevitably, the more talented one will win. I don’t think you know until you fight. Holloway has shown me a lot, but I believe in myself right now. I have no doubts. Of course I can lose, but I will do my best. When I say I’ll do my best, people might think I’m weak-willed, but that’s not the case at all. It’s the best thing I can say. And I will win.