Josh Burkman faces Dong Hyun Kim during the UFC 187 prelims on Fox Sports 1. (Getty)
Winner: Dong Hyun Kim (arm triangle choke at 2:13 of the third round)
South Korean Dong Hyun Kim controlled his match with veteran American Josh Burkman for most of two rounds and then overcame one last flurry from Burkman, recovered and locked in an arm triangle choke for a submission victory.
Kim, the -235 favorite, improves to 20-3-1 in his MMA career, while the +185 underdog Burkman falls to 27-11.
After a first round mostly controlled by Kim, Burkman seemed to be gaining some momentum with a series of strikes to start the second round. But after Burkman tried to take down Kim, the “Stun Gun” used his grappling game to take back control of the match. Kim delivered more than 80 strikes during the first two round.
Burkman entered the third and final round knowing a stoppage was needed to get a victory. And he nearly got it. A kick to the body, knee and several punches had Kim hurt and wobbling, but he managed to recover and then took Burkman back down to the ground, where he expertly worked into an arm triangle position and locked in a choke, leading to the submission win.
Kim is now 5-1 in his last 6 fights after successfully bouncing back from a loss to Tyrone Woodley.
Here’s how the match went down:
Round By Round Highlights:
Dong Hyun Kim battles Josh Burkman during the UFC 187 prelims. (Getty)
Round 1:
– After Josh Burkman gets Dong Hyun Kim up against the fence in the clinch, Kim turns it around, taking control and trying to drag Burkman to the ground, but Burkman successfully defends the takedowns.
– Kim hops onto the back of Burkman against the fence and hits him with a series of punches to the side of Burkman’s head. He then tries to lock in a choke, but Burkman defends it by keeping his arm between him and Kim.
– The South Korean “Stun Gun” gives up the choke attempts and delivers a few more blows to Burkman before the end of the around. Kim appeared to be in control of the fight for more than half the round after back-and-forth action to start.
Round 2:
– Burkman comes out aggressively and nails Kim with a few hard punches before looking for a takedown of his own.
– The grappling attempt by Burkman appears to have backfired as Kim gets control again, dragging Burkman down to the mat and delivering punches to the head, while tying up Burkman’s arm.
– Kim stays in control to the end of the round, delivering punches to the head with sharp elbows mixed in.
Round 3:
– Burkman comes out knowing he needs a stoppage to end the fight and delivers a kick to Kim’s body, followed by a series of punches that staggers “Stun Gun.”
– Kim is able to recover and returns to the grappling game, taking Burkman back down to the mat, where he has been in control most of the match.
– Dong Hyun Kim chokes out Burkman with an arm triangle for the victory as the referee calls a stop to the match.
Comments
Josh Burkman vs. Dong Hyun Kim: Odds, Result & Highlights