For the UFC’s first foray into South Korea, the promotion is calling upon one of the country’s best fighters, Dong Hyun Kim, to lead the charge.
Kim, the UFC’s No. 7 welterweight, will face late replacement Dominic Waters in the co-main event of this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 79. As expected, Kim is a huge favorite against the relatively unknown opponent.
UFC Fight Night 79 odds at BookMaker.eu
Dong Hyun Kim -637
Dominic Waters +463
Over/under 2.5 rounds, over -145, under +125
Please note, the odds listed here may have changed, as BookMaker updates their lines on a daily basis.
LET’S PLAY SQUASH
Dong Hyun Kim has been in and out of the welterweight top-10 for a few years, compiling an impressive 10-3 record in one of the promotion’s deepest divisions. In that time, he’s racked up a few notable wins over good fighters like Erick Silva, Nate Diaz, Paulo Thiago and Josh Burkman. He’s clearly one of the better 170-pounders on the rosters.
However, Kim has failed every time he’s faced elite competition. He was beaten senseless by current title challenger Carlos Condit in 2011. A year later, he suffered a TKO doctor stoppage against perennial contender Demian Maia. “Stun Gun” went on a four-fight win streak that earned him a shot at Tyron Woodley, who is currently next in line for a title shot. But Woodley knocked him out in the first round to send Kim to the back of the line.
At one point, Kim tried to reinvent himself as an action fighter, which completely negated his base as a top-notch judoka player and punishing ground-and-pound specialist. The KO loss to Woodley seems to have literally knocked him to his senses, as we saw the old Kim easily handle Josh Burkman with his best tools in his most recent outing.
Dominic Waters is one of those fringe UFC fighters that you’ve probably never heard. He’s coming off a loss to George Sullivan this past July in the TUF 21 Finale. Prior to the UFC, Waters competed in respectable regional promotions like Resurrection and KOTC, but he didn’t exactly dominate in those either. He made one appearance in WSOF, beating Martin Sano by unanimous decision.
What Waters does have going for him is that he trains at one of the best fight camps in the world, Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque. That is a gym with top-notch talent like Jon Jones, Holly Holm and Andrei Arlovski, and it’s also a team that does not let its fighters go into a bout unprepared.
THE SMART PLAYS
While I love any fighter that trains with Jackson-Wink, it’s hard to pick Waters without the benefit of a full training camp. Even if Waters had time to prepare, he doesn’t appear to have the tools to beat one of the better welterweights in the division. Of course, if Kim reverts back to his over-aggressive style, the Korean could be rendered unconscious early.
But I think that Kim, eager to notch a win in front of his countrymen, will fight a smart and controlled. He has a clear blueprint to victory here, and it would be foolish not to follow it. Losing to a nobody like Waters could irreparably damage his career, and I doubt he risks that for a chance at a KO victory.
HOW TO BET
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. UFC Fight Night 79 takes place this Saturday, November 28, 2015 at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul, South Korea. The card will be televised on UFC Fight Pass starting 8 a.m ET.
