Some people look at Hyun Gyu Lim and see Jake Ellenberger’s fill-in for UFC Fight Night 34 this Saturday.
Some people look at Lim and don’t respect his professionally sculpted resume. Some people have never heard of him.
But what almost every person watching this weekend will come to a realization of is that Lim is truly a welterweight force to be reckoned with.
After all, six first-round finishes in his last seven bouts is more than most UFC fighters can boast about. Not to mention his success has come before his 29th birthday.
As one of the newest names to South Korea’s short list of high-level mixed martial artists, Lim carries potential beyond the Octagon. He’s fighting for international recognition and the chance to become the next big thing back home.
That’s motivation at its highest form.
For Lim to gain that recognition, he’ll have to escape the well-timed and well-tuned arsenal of former Strikeforce welterweight champion Tarec Saffiedine, who will be making his UFC debut.
But what Lim has around his waist are the tools to end the four-fight win streak of his challenger. Correction, he has the one tool to end Saffiedine‘s divisional momentum.
That tool, better suited for chopping wood in the backyard, is raw power. Not the sort of power writers and media hounds like myself sometimes throw around without caution, but the kind of power that leaves fighters challenging the force of gravity.
That’s what Lim has at his disposal. Accompanied with the athleticism and dexterity to land any of those vicious attacks from unimaginable angles and distances, his power can change a fight.
So when Saffiedine is dancing around the cage looking for his opening, The Ace will be locked and loaded, ready to let loose like a cannon sparked by an atomic explosion.
That’s who Lim is—just in case you were wondering.
For more UFC news and coverage, follow @DHiergesell
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com