UFC Busan: Jung vs. Edgar Odds, Picks & Betting Preview
- Frankie Edgar steps up on short notice to take on Chan Sung Jung on Saturday, Dec. 21
- Will the winner get a title shot?
- See the odds and betting preview for the main card below
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is set for its final card of the year, and the decade, when the Octagon touches down in Busan, South Korea, this Saturday (Dec. 21).
In the main event, Chan Sung Jung a.k.a. “The Korean Zombie”, gets a hometown fight when he battles short-notice replacement Frankie Edgar in what could be a number-one contender fight at featherweight. The co-main event pairs knockout artist Volkan Oezdemir against a surging contender in Aleksandar Rakic.
The main card airs live at 5:00 AM ET.
Chan Sung Jung vs. Frankie Edgar Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Chan Sung Jung | -170 |
| Frankie Edgar | +140 |
*Odds taken Dec. 16.
Will Edgar Get Back Into The Win Column?
Chan Sung Jung (15-5) is coming off of a very impressive first-round knockout win over Renato Moicano in the main event of UFC Greenville earlier this year. Before that, he was knocked out by Yair Rodriguez in the main event of UFC Denver with one second left.
The 32-year-old has been a fan favorite for his entertaining style, especially since returning to the sport after his mandatory military service in 2017. He has beaten the likes of Dustin Poirier, Leonard Garcia, and Dennis Bermudez.
Frankie Edgar (22-7-1) came up short for the featherweight title back at UFC 240 in July, losing a convincing decision to Max Holloway.
Edgar was then set to move down to bantamweight against Cory Sandhagen at UFC Raleigh on Jan. 25, but this fight came up and he jumped at. The future UFC Hall of Famer has notable wins over B.J. Penn, Yair Rodriguez, Chad Mendes, Urijah Faber, and Cub Swanson in his career.
Tale of the Tape
| 32 | Age | 38 |
| 5’7″ | Height | 5’6″ |
| 72″ | Reach | 68″ |
| 5 | UFC finishes | 7 |
| 5 | UFC main events | 11 |
This fight may very well be better than the original plan of Jung vs. Brian Ortega. Edgar came out of nowhere to accept the scrap and he still plans on fighting on Jan. 25 as well, so he will need to get out of this fight with little to no damage.
In this fight, Edgar should be looking to use his wrestling to get the fight to the ground and gas out Jung. The former UFC lightweight champion has tremendous cardio, but the Korean has a very slick jiu-jitsu game so Edgar will have to be wary of that.
Jung’s pressure and striking could prove too much, though, especially given Edgar has only had two weeks’ notice. I see the hometown fighter winning by decision or possibly a late TKO. In doing so, Jung could very well earn a title shot against the new champion, Alexander Volkanovski.
Pick: Chan Sung Jung (-170)
Volkan Oezdemir vs. Aleksandar Rakic Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Volkan Oezdemir | +120 |
| Aleksandar Rakic | -150 |
Can Oezdemir Derail the Hype of Rakic?
Volkan Oezdemir (16-4) had a phenomenal performance last time out, knocking out Ilir Latifi back in August. The win also snapped his three-fight losing streak during which he dropped a controversial decision to Dominick Reyes, was submitted by Anthony Smith, and was also TKO’d by Daniel Cormier for the light heavyweight title.
The knockout artist began his UFC tenure with a split-decision win over Ovince Saint Preux and followed it up with two knockouts in 44 and 28 seconds to earn the title shot against Cormier.
Aleksandar Rakic (12-1) has shown his true potential in his last two fights as he TKO’d Devin Clark at UFC 231 and then had a beautiful head kick knockout of Jimi Manuwa in June. He is on a 12-fight winning streak after losing his professional debut and is set for the toughest fight of his career.
Tale of the Tape
| 30 | Age | 27 |
| 6’2″ | Height | 6’5″ |
| 75″ | Reach | 78″ |
| 12 | Career knockout wins | 9 |
| August 2019 | Last Fight | June 2019 |
It would be surprising if this fight reaches the second round as both men tend to finish their opponents early. Oezdemir is the more technical striker but Rakic throws quick, flashy kicks that could catch the Swiss native.
I expect Oezdemir to slow the fight down, using clinch work to grind Rakic out, bringing him into the deep waters and testing his cardio. Ultimately, I believe experience will play a big factor and Oezdemir will score a second or third-round TKO to derail Rakic, similar to what Corey Anderson did to Johnny Walker at UFC 244.
Pick: Volkan Oezdemir (+125)
UFC Busan Main Card Odds
Here are the odds for the remaining fights on the main card.
Doo-ho Choi vs. Charles Jourdain Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Doo-ho Choi | -300 |
| Charles Jourdain | +230 |
Da Un Jung vs. Mike Rodriguez Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Da Un Jung | +100 |
| Mike Rodriguez | -130 |
Jun Yong-Park vs. Marc-Andre Barriault Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jun Yong-Park | +100 |
| Marc-Andre Barriault | -130 |
Kyung Ho Kang vs. Pingyuan Liu Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kyung Ho Kang | -250 |
| Pingyuan Liu | +195 |
Cole graduated from Sheridan College in April of 2019 with a diploma in journalism. He now is a full-time freelance writer, focusing on MMA for sites like BJPENN, while also covering the Toronto Blue Jays as a credentialed media member. At SBD, Cole covers the four major sports and MMA.
