‘Korean Zombie’ looks right at home back in the UFC octagon after three years

Fighting for the first time in more than three years, Chan Sung Jung knocked out featherweight contender Dennis Bermudez with a crushing right uppercut in the first round of the main event of UFC Fight Night 104 in Houston on Saturday night.

“The Korean Zombie” built a reputation as a fan favorite and even had an unsuccessful shot at the 145-pound title before a required stint in the South Korean military derailed his career.

In his return bout on Saturday, Jung looked as if he hadn’t missed a beat.

“It definitely felt different from sparring (to return to competition),” Jung said. “It felt good to be back in the octagon. For the time I was away, I practiced a lot. What I worked on the most was my wrestling and footwork. I wasn’t really expecting the knockout to come that fast. It just happened.”

In typical Jung fashion, he was wobbled by a hard shot early but quickly recovered. He ended Bermudez’s two-fight winning streak with one punch, though he followed up with two right hands on the mat for good measure before referee Herb Dean stepped in at 2:49 of the opening round.

Jung will turn 30 next month. His last fight before Saturday was a featherweight title bout loss to Jose Aldo in August 2013.

He hopes to make another run at the top of the division now that his career is back on track.

The main card also featured a pair of intriguing women’s strawweight bouts. While a contender made a strong case for a title fight, one of the division’s top prospects took a big step back in her development.

Jessica Andrade won for the third straight time since dropping to 115 pounds as she took a unanimous decision over Angela Hill.

Andrade proved she could keep up a frenetic pace for three full rounds, answering one of the biggest questions about her style.

“I had a lot of determination and willpower and that was what led me through this incredible battle,” Andrade said. “The fact that Angela could take so many punches was surprising. I wasn’t expecting that at all. She is a warrior.

“I expect (a title fight against) Joanna (Jedrzejczyk) next and that is the only fight that makes sense. I will train the hardest I can and I promise to put on an amazing show for the fans.”

Hill was returning to the UFC after winning four consecutive fights in Invicta to become that organization’s champion, but fell to 0-3 in the UFC despite a solid performance.

Alexa Grasso didn’t have her best night in falling to veteran Felice Herrig.

The 23-year-old was hesitant in her attacks and was often caught by Herrig’s overhand right at the end of exchanges as she suffered the first loss of her career.

Herrig was pleased to prove she could strike with someone as highly-regarded as Grasso in that realm.

“Everyone thinks of me as a grappler but I come from a striking background,” she said. “Alexa is a tough opponent and known for her boxing so I wanted to remind everyone that I’m a high-level striker and I chose to stand up and trade with her.

Herrig feels she earned the right to avenge her only UFC loss

“I just took out a top prospect,” she said. “What I want next it Paige VanZant.

“She’s my only loss in the UFC but she didn’t fight the real Felice. I know I am a better fighter than what I looked like in that fight so I want that fight next.”

Also on the main card, lightweight James Vick submitted Abel Trujillo with a d’arce choke early in the third round. He nearly pulled off the maneuver in the second round before running out of time, but stayed persistent.

“I’m not going to lie, I couldn’t believe that he escaped the first one,” Vick said. “The d’arce choke is my money move. I catch black belts with it so I was blown away that he made it through. This will sound weird, but I actually think that I sunk it in too deep and maybe should’ve backed it up a little bit. As soon as I locked in the second one though, I knew it was over. You can just tell by sounds and reactions so I knew he was done.”

Newcomers Volkan Oezdemir and Marcel Fortuna each scored upset victories.

Oezdemir faded late in the fight but had done enough work early to take a split decision over light heavyweight contender Ovince Saint Preux.

“When I signed the fight, a lot of people were congratulating me on joining the UFC but that was not enough for me,” Oezdemir said. “Of course, coming to the UFC was always a goal for me as a fighter but I knew I needed to perform. I knew I needed to win to prove that I belong here. I want to climb the ranks. OSP is a very tough fighter. I thought I would come in fast and try to finish him. That wasn’t meant to be tonight, but I am just very happy to have a win like this.”

Fortuna, known as a grappling specialist, knocked out heavyweight Anthony Hamilton.

“I was fighting a much heavier guy and I was afraid of him using his weight on me so I focused on keeping the distance,” said Fortuna, a natural light heavyweight who took the fight just to get in to the UFC and weighed in 48 pounds less than Hamilton. “I was able to do that and keep my hands moving. Thank God it worked out and I was able to get the knockout.

“I just want to keep fighting. I took this fight on short notice and it’s obviously a big weight class for me so I’m excited to get back down to light heavyweight. Hopefully this fight shows what I am capable of and I will be ready for any light heavyweight.”

Las Vegan Khalil Rountree highlighted the preliminary card with a spectacular knockout of Daniel Jolly.

Rountree crushed Jolly with a knee in the clinch to record his first UFC win just 52 seconds into the light heavyweight bout.

“That was all reflex,” Rountree said. “My corners and I understood coming in that he would try to take me down so that is something that I drilled over and over again in this camp so it was natural. I focused my camp on wrestling and spent a lot of time working with Tom Lawlor on wrestling, jiu-jitsu and just general grappling but saw the perfect opportunity to end the fight.”

The win rejuvenated Rountree, who had lost his first two fights in the UFC after appearing on “The Ultimate Fighter.”

“I’m heading right back to the gym,” he said. “I want to train more, learn more and improve my skills as a fighter. I want to make a statement that I am up there with the best fighters in this division and I know I need to put work in to get there. I’m also going to spend some time looking at the division. I don’t have an exact opponent in mind next but my coaches and I are going to sit down and determine who should be next.”

Heavyweight Curtis Blaydes was awarded a victory when Adam Milstead suffered a knee injury in the second round round.

Ricardo Ramos earned a unanimous decision over bantamweight Michinori Tanaka and Tecia Torres won a unanimous decision in a catchweight bout over Bec Rawlings, who missed the women’s strawweight limit by two pounds on Friday.

Featherweight Chas Skelly submitted Chris Gruetzemacher with a rear-naked choke in the second round.

Welterweight Nico Price finished Alex Morono with punches just as the second round ended.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @adamhilllvrj on Twitter.