DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 10: Chan Sung Jung is hit with a knock-out elbow from Yair Rodríguez with four seconds left in the fifth and final round to end their Featherweight bout during the UFC Fight Night 139 at the Pepsi Center on November 10, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
We take a look back at one of the most action-packed and emotion-charged historic clash in the UFC featherweight division – The Korean Zombie vs Yair Rodriguez
The Korean Zombie and Yair Rodriguez met at UFC Fight Night 139 in Denver in an epic featherweight clash. Blood oozing from several cuts on their faces, swollen ribs and foot- both fighters slugged it out for almost the entirety of five rounds, before an unprecedented turn of events shocked the world.
Rodriguez’s lightening fast leg kicks kept the Zombie’s attack at bay. He managed to cushion in some really sneaky round kicks and caught the Zombie off-guard with his creative striking. Zombie was aggressive in his approach, piling on the pressure and landing some good, clean, thudding shots. Rodriguez was proficient with his counter-attacking, landing smartly with power, slowing TKZ’s momentum.
Both the fighters refused to step foot off the gas, and continued their onslaught for 24 minutes.
The pair had developed a freshly kindled respect for each other after battling it out for 24 minutes, and moved into the last minute embracing each other. Both fighters would swing wildly for the reminder of the minute, except for the last second, when Yair pulled out an unparalleled ‘back-elbow’ attack beating the buzzer and emerging victorious.
The entire MMA community went wild, as they raved about the finish, and Dana White called it the ‘craziest finish ever’. The set-up of that elbow, the timing, and the entire narrative of the fight could not be written better.
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