Former mentor (Dong Jin Ha) and student (Korean Zombie) meet on opposite sides as TFC vs. ZFN put five fighters each — and plenty of promotional pride — on the line at TFC 23.
Chan Sung Jung opened his TFC 23 preview discussion with former mentor Dong Jin Ha by offering an apology.
It wasn’t about their relationship. After looking over the five matchups between ZFN and TFC, Jung simply couldn’t see his side losing.
The declaration immediately established the competitive tone between two figures who share a long history in Korean MMA. Ha acknowledged that it felt somewhat unusual to sit across from his former student with both men now representing different organizations. Jung, meanwhile, wasted little time making it clear that their past relationship would not stop him from backing his fighters.
On August 30, TFC 23 will feature a five-on-five promotional showdown between TFC and ZFN. While the fighters will ultimately decide the results inside the cage, the event also places Ha and Jung on opposing sides — a former mentor and student now tasked with defending the strength of their respective teams.
A Different Relationship at TFC 23
The familiarity between Ha and Jung shaped much of their first preview discussion.
Ha explained that despite their official positions with TFC and ZFN, he preferred that the two speak as they had during their earlier years together. That familiarity allowed both men to openly challenge each other’s assessments without turning the conversation into manufactured hostility.
Jung was particularly confident in the five fighters representing ZFN.
Ha was considerably less convinced.
After hearing some of the names on the opposing lineup, the TFC representative jokingly questioned whether Jung had brought his second-string team. Jung responded that the fighters might be unfamiliar to Ha, but ZFN’s audience knows them well.
The exchange reflected one of the more interesting elements of the promotional matchup. TFC and ZFN come from different periods in the development of the Korean MMA scene, and the August 30 event gives fighters from those respective environments an opportunity to compete directly against one another.
For Jung, there appears to be little doubt about how that comparison will end.
Confidence on Both Sides
Neither representative made much effort to hide his bias as they worked through the matchups.
During one discussion, Ha estimated TFC’s chances at approximately 70-30, pointing to physical differences and wrestling as potential advantages. Jung defended his fighter’s toughness and willingness to engage, particularly when faced with an opponent attempting to impose a physical game.
When Jung was later asked for his own assessment, he went significantly further and gave his fighter what amounted to a 10-0 advantage.
Ha quickly reminded his former student that he had at least given ZFN a 30-percent chance out of respect.
The predictions were deliberately exaggerated at times, but the discussion also revealed how seriously both sides are approaching the format.
A normal fight card allows each matchup to stand largely on its own. A promotional competition changes that dynamic. Every result contributes to the overall comparison between TFC and ZFN, giving fighters an additional responsibility beyond improving their individual records.
Jung made that distinction clear when discussing what he had told his team.
Under normal circumstances, his message to a fighter receiving an offer would be straightforward: prepare properly and give your best effort.
For this event, the instruction was different.
They need to win.
Promotional Pride, but Fair Competition
The competitive discussion also produced a more serious conversation about officiating.
Ha said he had seen events where he believed referees became too involved in the action, although he deliberately avoided identifying a specific organization. He emphasized that TFC intends to provide a fair environment regardless of whether a fighter is representing the home promotion or arriving from ZFN.
His reasoning went beyond the outcome of the TFC–ZFN competition.
For the athletes involved, a fight can affect a professional career built over years of training. Promotional interests, Ha argued, cannot be allowed to interfere with that responsibility.
Jung agreed that fair treatment of the fighters must remain the priority.
It was a notable moment in a conversation otherwise dominated by predictions and competitive banter. TFC may be hosting the event, but both representatives acknowledged that the promotional rivalry only works if the five matchups are decided fairly inside the cage.
Hyun Woo Nam Brings a Different Generation Into the Matchup
One of the most intriguing discussions centered on veteran Hyun Woo Nam, formerly known as Ki Young Nam.
Unlike some of the younger names on the card, Nam required little introduction for Jung.
Ha described him as one of the longest-active fighters remaining in Korean combat sports, with a career stretching back to an earlier period of the country’s MMA development. Jung remembered hearing Nam’s name approximately two decades ago and admitted that his initial reaction to receiving the matchup was surprise that the veteran was still competing.
That history gives Nam’s matchup with ZFN’s Min Chan Ji an additional dimension.
Nam brings significantly more experience, while Ji represents a younger fighter still establishing his professional career. Ha believes the veteran’s aggressive style and years of competition remain meaningful advantages. Jung questioned whether that experience can compensate for the physical realities of returning to competition at around 40 years old.
Ha joked that “fighting starts at 40.”
Jung, who is himself 40, was not convinced.
Their disagreement eventually became a debate over whether Nam’s time away from competition had allowed him to recharge or would make a return even more difficult.
The humor aside, Jung raised a legitimate concern. A veteran fighter can retain his instincts and competitive mentality even when his body is no longer capable of responding in the same way.
Ha acknowledged how aggressive Nam has traditionally been, while Jung suggested that the bigger question will be whether the veteran can still physically execute the style that made him effective.
It is one of several matchups at TFC 23 where the contrast between the two teams extends beyond their promotional affiliation.
From Student to Rival Representative
The TFC vs. ZFN format would be noteworthy on its own, but the relationship between Ha and Jung gives the event additional significance.
Jung belongs to a generation of fighters who helped Korean MMA gain international recognition. His own career eventually took him from the Korean regional scene to the UFC, where “The Korean Zombie” became one of the country’s most recognizable combat sports athletes.
His role within Korean MMA is now different.
Jung is no longer preparing for his own fights. Through ZFN, he is helping provide opportunities for fighters attempting to build careers of their own.
TFC 23 offers an unusual illustration of that transition.
Across the table is Dong Jin Ha, a figure from Jung’s own development as a fighter. This time, Jung arrives with his own organization, his own group of fighters and considerable confidence that they can defeat the team representing his former mentor.
There was no indication that the personal relationship between the two men has deteriorated. If anything, their familiarity allowed the preview to become more candid than a conventional promotional faceoff.
But the competitive element is genuine.
For five fights on August 30, TFC and ZFN will have the opportunity to make their respective cases inside the cage.
Dong Jin Ha and Chan Sung Jung have already made theirs.
Follow HanPunch for the latest Korean MMA news, exclusive fighter interviews, event coverage, and the stories shaping combat sports across Asia. You can follow this event’s coverage at the TFC 23 event page.
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