UFC featherweight The Korean Zombie has blasted the use of the ‘rising sun symbol’ worn by bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey ahead of Fight Night 30 in Manchester on Saturday.
Chan Sung Jung claims the symbol represents war crimes during World War II and late 19th and early 20th century Japan, saying it is similar to a Nazi swastika.
Ahead of the fight at Manchester Phones4u Arena, Jung penned a letter to Dana White stating that ‘every single item designed after this symbol of war crimes should be kicked out of the UFC, firstly for justice, and then for the company’.
He added: “Let bygones be bygones? Get over it? Unjustified invasion, torture, massacre, military and sexual slavery, medical experiments on living prisoners of war and many other war crimes scarred too many people. It can never be forgotten.
“This is a tragic history for all of us. Furthermore, the Japanese government never gave a sincere apology, and is even trying to justify and distort their dirty, nasty history. Still to this day, so many victims are dying in pain, heartbroken, without being properly compensated.”
The symbol was worn by Rousey during this season’s Ultimate Fighter, however this was not the first time the issue had arisen as Jung had also penned a letter to George St Pierre who sported it on a gi at UFC 158 made by company Hayabusa. Both issued apologies.
Before the episode was aired Jung said that he was happy as he thought he had succeeded in educating the world of the issue after the incident with Georges St-Pierre and that we would not need to see the symbol ‘at least around the octagon’.
“Don’t you think this will be an awful example for our company, which actually does a lot of charity stuff for troops as well?“ he fumed.
“A lot of furious, heartbroken people will boycott the UFC, leading to a loss of a lot of (potential) fans, which will end up leaving a very bad impression on the Asian market. I mean, can you imagine our fighters in Nazi outfits in Europe? For us Asians, it’s nothing different.”
But the relentless fighter has expressed his love for the sport and is excited to see it growing.
“UFC has been crossing borders with great ease. The event was a great success in Europe, Australia and Brazil, and now it’s time for Asia,” he said.
“But I don’t even want to imagine UFC fighters in those outfits, especially in Asia.”
The UFC, ZUFFA and both Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta have not yet released a comment to Jung’s letter.
Image courtesy of Ultimate Fighter via YouTube, with thanks.
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