Let’s take a look at the current ranking of Chan Sung Jung at various outlets:
| Source | Rank |
| MMA Weekly | #6 |
| Tapology | #6 |
| Sherdog | #8 |
| MMA Junkie | #8 |
| ESPN | #9 |
| MMA Madman | #9 |
| Fight Magazine | #12 |
| Fight Matrix | #24 |
Now, I’m of the opinion that a top fighter must fight (and win) often enough to sustain such a lofty ranking.
If we go back to the start of 2010, we have the following results for Chan Sung Jung:
| Years Ago |
Fighter | Pre-Bout Rank (Approx) |
Current Rank |
Result |
| 0.82 | Jose Aldo | #1 FW | #1 FW | L(TKO) |
| 2.03 | Dustin Poirier | #15 FW | #9 FW | W(TKO) |
| 2.46 | Mark Hominick | #19 FW | N/A | W(KO) |
| 3.17 | Leonard Garcia | #25 FW | #102 FW | W(SUB) |
| 3.66 | George Roop | #80 FW | #26 BW | L(KO) |
| 4.09 | Leonard Garcia | #21 FW | #102 FW | L(SD) |
My observations:
- In his last six fights, he is 3-3.
- He hasn’t won in over 2 years.
- He had just 1 fight in 2012, and 1 fight in 2013.
- Except Poirier, all of his opponents have essentially held their rank level, dropped in division, declined, or retired since the respective bout.
On a positive note, CSJ put up a valiant effort against Aldo in his loss. Furthermore, Poirier who he beat, now holds a Top 10 ranking, though it can definitely be argued that Poirier has improved since the aforementioned bout — looking at an opponent’s performance post-bout is not a part of the core rating system.
On results alone, perhaps a #24 ranking is a little harsh. But given his spotty activity, I honestly don’t think it is very far off the mark.