Demian Maia (left) wrestles Dong Hyun Kim during their welterweight bout at UFC 148 inside MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 7, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges via UFC.com)
This past Saturday night, UFC welterweight Dong Hyun ‘Stun Gun’ Kim (15-2-1, 1NC) suffered a first round TKO loss to Demian Maia on the main card of UFC 148.
To many it appeared that the South Korean fighter injured his rib during a takedown forcing an end to the match at 47-seconds of the first round.
According to Brian Rhee, translator and manager to Chan Sung Jung, the injury was a “severe muscle spasm” that actually began several seconds earlier while Kim and Maia were in the clinch along the fence on the other side of the cage from where things ended.
Posting the news on the Underground Forums, Rhee offered this explanation to fans.
KZ and I went to the hospital yesterday to meet with Stun Gun’s team and heard the whole story. The injury actually occurred about 30 seconds into the fight when the fighters were on the opposite side (from where the fight ended) of the octagon. Maia had one of Stun Gun’s legs, which is a position that he actually likes.
As they were tied up, somehow Stun Gun got a muscle spasm in his side. He told his corner that something was wrong.
Kim defended Maia’s takedown attempts for a while, but by the time they got to the other side of the Octagon, he was in too much pain.
The position in which the injury happened is the kind that happens in training all the time, but for some reason it caused a severe muscle spasm this particular time. It truly was a freak accident.
It’s a terrible way to lose a fight and Stun Gun is really bummed out about it. I’m sure he’ll be back and going strong soon enough, though! Phone Post
Thanks to Shaun Al-Shatti of MMAFighting.com for the update.