UFC 148 has shaped up to be the biggest card for the UFC to date. The main event features arguably the most important rematch in recent mixed martial arts history, as Anderson Silva attempts to defend his title against Chael Sonnen. Below this fight on the card are a number of important fights for positioning the winners and losers within their respective divisions during the rest of the year. One such fight is the welterweight bout between Demian Maia and Dong Hyun Kim; even though it is listed on the undercard ledger, it remains a big bout for the 170-pound weight class.
Kim and Maia have been fringe contenders for an extended period of time. Looking back, we remember Maia’s failed attempt to topple Silva back at UFC 112. Kim, on the other hand, was the stepping stone that Carlos Condit needed to get into the title picture at 170 pounds, before ultimately gaining the interim welterweight title. Both of these fighters have competed at a high level for a long time, but this bout still remains under the radar as UFC 148 approaches.
This fight presents an interesting style matchup, one where both fighters bring strong skill sets to the Octagon. Maia’s a world-renowned Brazilian Jiu Jitsu player who’s won multiple titles during his grappling career. Some would even suggest that he has the best BJJ in the sport of mixed martial arts. Kim is a 4th Degree Dan in Judo, and he’s shown an ability to quickly throw opponents when the opportunities present themselves. While his grappling on the mat isn’t as diverse as Maia’s attacks, he has also shown that he can control positioning if needed, in order to procure a decision victory.
Where the breakdown of this bout takes an interesting turn, however, is in determining how both fighters will fare during the standup portion at the start of each round. Maia and Kim have been in the UFC for five and four years respectively, and during this time, we have had the opportunity to watch their striking skills develop. Kim’s six knockout victories prove that he has the ability to land a big shot to end the fight, but he tends not to lean on that ability, preferring instead to outgrapple his opponents.
Many observers praised Maia for developing his striking game and being able to use it against Mark Munoz back at UFC 131. However, doing so took him away from his roots, which was what made him such a dangerous fighter to begin with. If he goes back to the strategy of getting a fight to the ground to look for a submission, then he has the ability to defeat most of the fighters in the welterweight division. This strategy is especially important within a weight class that is stacked with individuals who love to ground their opponents and try to grind their way to a victory.
In this division, a win for either Kim or Maia should catapult the winner into the top ten, or at least top 15, of this weight class. Both competitors have impressive resumes, and each presents a dangerous matchup for both the youthful contingent and the experienced veterans in the group. There are a number of opponents in the weight class, such as Jake Ellenberger, Jon Fitch, and Josh Koscheck, that can be the next step for either one of these fighters, where that bout would not be considered “too much too soon.”
When the fight between Kim and Maia is over, we will be looking at a fighter who should be considered a top contender in the division, and placed two victories away from a title shot. They’ve been hidden away on the undercard, but outside of the main event, this bout is certainly the most important to watch for.
