Preview: UFC Fight Night 243 Prelims

Light Heavyweights

Oumar Sy (10-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Da Woon Jung (15-5-1, 4-3-1 UFC)

ODDS: Sy (-475), Jung (+325)

Jung looked like one of the UFC’s better light heavyweight signings during his first few fights in the promotion. Starting with his 2019 debut, Jung flashed a lot of potency on both the feet and the mat while possessing the type of frame and athleticism to keep frustrating opponents. Jung’s performances were a bit inconsistent in that he would only show different parts of his game rather than anything complete each time out, but after he ended 2021 with a knockout of Kennedy Nzechukwu, it seemed like he would be a lock to turn the corner and rise through the ranks. However, Jung’s lone fight of 2022 saw him get quickly knocked out by Dustin Jacoby, and it doesn’t seem like he has fully recovered. He has looked much more tentative in the fights since and shown some poor decision making in the process, such as unsuccessfully wrestling with Devin Clark for three rounds in a loss early in 2023. Jung’s last fight, a third-round loss to Carlos Ulberg, was a mixed bag. If anything, it seems more impressive now that Jung was able to survive that long against the streaking Ulberg, but it’s hard to say the vibes are particularly great for the Korean, particularly since the UFC seemed to be setting him up for a loss against Sy. France’s Sy has some things to work out, but he’s clearly a prospect worth watching. He has beaten a solid level of competition on the regional scene with a straightforward approach, pursuing takedowns and hunting for a submission, usually in the form of a rear-naked choke. Sy could get stalled out at times even against regional competition, which suggests he will have to develop a striking game at some point. That should be interesting given his massive frame, but if nothing else, he was able to keep outwrestling his opponents for three rounds, which is rare in these heavier divisions. Sy ran through George Tokkos in his UFC debut in May, and this does line up as a much tougher test. It would be nice to see Jung bounce back, if only to get a talented fighter back on track while also prompting Sy to start rounding out his game. However, it’s also hard to bank on the Korean standing up to someone with a much more focused approach at this point. The pick is Sy via first-round submission.

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