Siyar Bahadurzada has finished 15 foes in the first round. | Photo: Marcelo Alonso/Sherdog.com
Welterweights
Siyar Bahadurzada (21-4-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (16-2-1, 7-2 UFC)
Bahadurzada needed just 42 seconds to stop Thiago, dropping the Brazilian with a short, counter right hand at UFC on Fuel TV 2 in April. The Afghan fighter has been sidelined since then, as an injury forced him out of a spot on the UFC 149 card. Meanwhile, Kim smothered the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt at UFC on Fuel TV 6, landing takedowns and controlling the action in each frame en route to a unanimous decision win.
Following that victory, Kim expressed a desire to rematch Demian Maia, who earned a TKO victory over Kim at UFC 148 when the Korean suffered a rib injury 47 seconds into their bout. Kim professed his disappointment when it was announced that he would get Bahadurzada instead, perhaps giving the Blackzilians member some added incentive to perform heading into this matchup.
Bahadurzada has won seven fights in a row, finishing six of them by knockout or technical knockout. The former Shooto light heavyweight champion is a heavy puncher, but he does tend to leave himself open to counters. Although he would prefer to keep the fight standing, Bahadurzada has proven to be active inside his opponent’s guard, but his aggression there also leaves him vulnerable to losing position and submission attempts.
Kim’s striking has improved from when he first entered the UFC, but in this instance it will serve him primarily to close the distance against Bahadurzada’s heavy artillery. “Stun Gun” is an accomplished judo practitioner who lands takedowns primarily through trips or throws. Once on the mat, he is adept at holding position and neutralizing his opponent’s guard. He is not especially offensive-minded from top position, however.
The Pick: Bahadurzada’s ability to maintain enough distance to unleash his strikes will be pivotal here. Carlos Condit proved that Kim can falter against a dynamic striker when he hurt the Korean with a flying knee at UFC 132, and the Afghan has a similar flair for the dramatic. Bahadurzada displays enough clinch savvy to avoid being blanketed and eventually lands a counter to win via technical knockout in round two.
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