Dong Hyun Kim is done messing around.
At The Ultimate Fighter: China finale, the usually conservative Kim pressed forward wildly against John Hathaway. In the third round, the Korean caught Hathaway with a spinning back elbow while the Englishman was coming in.
Highlights of the early 2014 Knockout of the Year candidate can be viewed on the above video player.
In his first 11 UFC bouts, Kim finished only one adversary. Now, “Stun Gun” has stopped back-to-back opponents in devastating fashion.
“I want to get a shot at the title,” Kim told UFC commentator Jon Anik in his post-fight interview on the UFC Fight Pass stream (subscription required). “I don’t care who my next opponent will be.”
With an excellent ground game and newfound striking power, Kim has to viewed as a legitimate threat to contend for the currently vacant welterweight championship. He’s still a big win or two away from a title shot, but Kim’s next outing is likely to come against an elite 170-pounder now.
Among the options for Kim’s next matchup are Rory MacDonald, Matt Brown and the winner of a UFC 172 bout between Jake Ellenberger and Tarec Saffiedine.
Hathaway, meanwhile, saw a three-fight winning streak come to an end on Saturday. While he hasn’t lost in a while, injuries have prevented Hathaway from competing over the past 17 months, meaning it has also been a while since he’s gotten his hand raised.
The British welterweight can expect a step down in competition for his next outing. He’ll likely meet an opponent coming off of a loss, which could mean a fight against the loser of an April contest between John Howard and Ryan LaFlare.
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