The Korean Zombie says Nate Diaz is ‘villain of all villains’

Chan Sung Jung, AKA ‘The Korean Zombie’ is a fan favorite in the UFC. So is Nate Diaz. Both fighters have enjoyed storied careers in the Octagon, with TKZ’s eight performances bonuses the joint-most in featherweight history.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, TKZ hailed the importance of antagonists in the UFC and name-checked Diaz as having a crucial part to play in generating interest.

“[Nate Diaz] is the villains of all villains. Actually, I take that back. Nate Diaz is not a villain. He’s just someone crazy,” said the Korean.

Aside from Diaz, The Korean Zombie also named Colby Covington. The number #1-ranked welterweight infamously ‘turned heel’ in 2017. Whether or not this was the ‘right’ move for the American is up for debate. But he’s certainly enjoyed success in recent years, and is scheduled for another crack at the title when he rematches Kamaru Usman at UFC 268.

image via @ufc on Instagram (photographer not listed)

According to The Korean Zombie’s logic, Covington’s decision to play the bad guy may well have been the way to go after all.

“Villains have the most popularity,” said TKZ.

“MMA wouldn’t be MMA without the presence of the villains. A hero fighting another hero? Now, that’s no fun. The two must have hatred towards one another for the fight to be fun. There is Colby Covington, for example. Colby Covington was once a sweet fighter, but after almost being kicked out of the UFC for having less than average fights, he changed and found a new character to be,” he added.

Indeed, whether you could consider Diaz a ‘villain,’ or ‘just someone crazy’ he certainly sells pay-per-views. Both of his encounters with Conor McGregor remain in the top 5 list for best-selling UFC PPV’s of all-time.

Covington has had less success in that regard, but his first encounter with Usman was widely viewed as one of the best fights of the year.

Do you agree with what the The Korean Zombie is saying…Are villains essential in MMA?