UFC on FUEL TV 8: March 2, 2013 Saitama, Japan UFC Welterweight Contender Dong Hyun Kim (-185) Profile: Dong Hyun Kim (16-2-1, 1 No-Contest) saw a dominant run in the Japanese promotion DEEP to start his career, going undefeated and entering the UFC in 2008 at 9-0-1. He went on to win his next two UFC bouts, then after losing a split decision to Karo Parisyan, he got a second chance with the fight being ruled a No-Contest due to Parisyan testing positive for banned substances. Since then, he has racked up five more wins with a pair of losses coming against UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit at UFC 132 and Demian Maia at UFC 148. The “Stun Gun” had previously defeated some solid opponents before losing two of three, including Nate Diaz and Amir Sadollah. His loss to Maia in July of last year was marred by the fact that he broke a rib during a takedown. But Kim rebounded with a dominant unanimous decision victory against Paulo Thiago four months later to get back on track and hopes another win will move him into the welterweight rankings. UFC Welterweight Contender Siyar Bahadurzada (+145) Profile: Some of the scariest hands in all of MMA belong to Siyar “The Great” Bahadurzada (21-4-1). Many questioned his elite skills after amassing a 20-4-1 record outside of the UFC, but the Golden Glory product quieted his critics when he knocked out Thiago at UFC on FUEL TV 2 with one of the most brutal knockouts in company history. To say Bahadurzada has “good” stand-up would be an insult, as he could put anyone in the welterweight division to sleep with a single punch. On the flip side, his ground game is not the best, but his work in the Blackzilians camp may have him prepared for the trips and throws of Kim in Japan at UFC on FUEL TV 8. Opening UFC on FUEL TV 8 Odds Analysis: MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas made Kim a slight -185 favorite (bet $185 to win $100) while Bahadurzada opened as a +145 underdog (bet $100 to win $145) at Several Bookmakers sportsbook. Kim bounced back nicely from his disappointing performance against Maia due to an unfortunate rib injury by defeating Thiago, improving to 7-2 in the UFC with 1 NC. He has alternated wins and losses in his last four fights after going 5-0 with the NC in his previous six. Bahadurzada is an intriguing prospect though who fought mostly in the Netherlands after his family moved there in 1999. In fact, the Afghan-born fighter did not fight outside his new home country until 2007 when he won the Shooto middleweight championship. Two of Bahadurzada’s four career losses have taken place in Japan as part of the Sengoku promotion, but he has put together a seven-fight winning streak since his last setback in Saitama against Jorge Santiago. It’s worth noting that Kim and Bahadurzada are both coming off wins against the same opponent in Thiago. This promises to be an exciting matchup between two up-and-coming welterweight contenders who are each looking to climb the rankings and make an impact in the division.
