Siyar Bahadurzada and Dong Hyun Kim kicked off the main-card portion of UFC on Fuel TV 8 in less-than-dramatic fashion.
Going into the fight, many experts saw two likely outcomes: Bahadurzada would score the knockout, or Kim would grind out a decision.
Unfortunately for the violence monger in all of us, we were treated to the latter result as Kim’s grappling prowess proved too much for the Afghan sensation to overcome.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
Real talk: This fight was pretty forgettable. If we’re lucky, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones will break into our houses, flash that little memory eraser they have and we will forget each dreadful moment of non-action in this fight.
Kim showcased a smothering top game, and he opened up in the final minutes of the fight with some inspired ground-and-pound. But for the most part, this was the textbook definition of a victory via “lay and pray.”
What We Learned About Siyar Bahadurzada
Bahadurzada came into this fight riding an impressive seven-fight winning streak, and his knockout power was evident in his UFC debut as he starched veteran Paulo Thiago in less than one minute at UFC on Fuel TV 2.
He could not recapture that former glory, though, and he showed some gaping holes in his ground game.
Bahadurzada could not avoid the takedown, he could not mount any sort of offense from his back and he could not escape back to his feet once the fight hit the canvas.
If he wants to take the next step in the big show, he has to take these aspects of the fight game seriously and come out better prepared to handle strong grapplers in the future.
What We Learned About Dong Hyun Kim
Dong Hyun Kim did not show us anything new in this fight.
We knew he was a strong grappler, and we knew he was not a finisher. Basically, this fight went exactly as one would expect if somebody told you ahead of time that Kim would win.
What’s Next for Bahadurzada?
“The Great” tumbles a bit in the welterweight rankings with the loss, but his knockout power makes him a fearsome opponent for anybody at 170 pounds.
Next up for him should be Erick Silva, a promising, explosive up-and-comer who was stifled by a strong grappler in Jon Fitch in his last outing.
Let’s see which of these prospects is for real.
What’s Next for Kim?
It wasn’t pretty, but Kim did exactly what he needed to do to climb the ever-lengthening welterweight ladder at UFC on Fuel TV 8.
With matchups like Jake Ellenberger vs. Nate Marquardt and Carlos Condit vs. Johny Hendricks set for UFC 158 and a rumored matchup of Tarec Saffiedine vs. Demian Maia in the works, Kim’s quest for UFC gold is a bit clogged at the moment.
I think a fight with Canadian standout Rory MacDonald (once he heals up, of course) could be fun, otherwise, the winner of Marquardt vs. Ellenberger makes the most immediate sense to me.
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