Dong Hyun Kim rebounded from an injury at UFC 148 to take a dominant decision over Paulo Thiago at UFC on Fuel 6. Kim displayed all his familiar traits in controlling Thiago on the mat from bell to bell. A
lthough he didn’t secure the finish, the performance was still very impressive.
What Fans Will Remember From This Fight
Fans will likely recall the third round, in which Kim nearly Chael Sonnen-ed himself after missing a spinning back fist. Kim secured a takedown and looked like a spider monkey on Thiago‘s back.
It was as dominant a round in terms of pure grappling as one could achieve, given the fact that Thiago was unable to do anything except survive for five minutes.
What We Learned About Paulo Thiago
I’m personally a fan of Thiago, but it’s clear that right now he doesn’t have the skills necessary to compete against high-level opponents in the welterweight division.
He’s a meager 1-4 in his last five outings, and although he’s only lost two straight, it may be time to say goodbye to the UFC. He did nothing but survive the onslaught from Kim over the course of three rounds.
Thiago can still defeat the lower-level guys, but it seems as if he will be stuck in the gatekeeper level for the time being.
What We Learned About Dong Hyun Kim
Wow. That’s all anyone can say about the performance put on by the “Stun Gun.” Kim has always been great at holding top control but showed some of his jiu-jitsu skills by looking for a number of chokes against the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Thiago.
Kim did nearly everything right except finish the fight, and it’s hard to say anything negative about his performance.
It appears as if Kim is back and ready to make another run to the top of the welterweight ladder.
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