Dong Hyun Kim never was and will never be a legitimate threat inside the UFC’s welterweight division.
The 30-year-old South Korean fighter possesses some of the division’s best Judo skills, but Judo alone will not get a fighter anywhere close to the title in a stacked 170-pound division.
With a bout against Paulo Thiago looming at UFC on Fuel TV: Franklin vs. Le, many wonder if the “Stun Gun” has what it takes to climb back into welterweight contention.
After a devastating knockout loss to current interim champion Carlos Condit, Kim has fallen into a pit of near irrelevancy after following a lackluster win over Sean Pierson at UFC 141 with a blowout loss to Demian Maia at UFC 148.
The thing with Kim is that he is a fine fighter…by 2002’s standards. The sport has simply passed him by, and he remains one of a handful of fighters who excel in only one area. If Kim cannot take you to the ground and impose his will, he cannot beat you.
Since arriving in the UFC in May 2008, Kim has posted a stellar record of 6-2 with one no contest, a testament to how far his Judo can take him. When one looks deeper into this record, however, the numbers become decidedly less impressive.
Of those six victories, only one came via stoppage. This singular TKO victory was against Jason Tan in Kim’s Octagon debut, and since that time, the “Stun Gun” has shocked absolutely no one inside the cage.
He is a one-dimensional fighter who falters when he cannot get his opponent to the mat, and the days of these fighters are rapidly dwindling. If you cannot showcase a multi-faceted attacked inside the Octagon today, you are done.
This is exactly where Kim stands, and his future will never see him surpass gatekeeper status.
Even if Kim absolutely demolishes Thiago Saturday night, he is not well-rounded enough to sustain a run inside the UFC’s welterweight division.
For fans of Kim, I’m sorry to say it, but your boy will never come close to seizing UFC gold.
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