A Closer Look At UFC 132: Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim

Welcome back, fans and friends, to “A Closer Look At ufc 132”. With this entry, the first day of my special two-part in-depth look at UFC 132 comes to a close. For the first part of the series, click here. Part 2 is available here. Now it’s time for the first of four major fights anchoring the UFC 132 broadcast. I say with confidence that any of these four could have easily headlined their own “Fight Night Live” event. Let’s now turn to the match-up that pits Carlos Condit against Dong Hyun Kim. It’s a fight with serious championship implications, and this is “A Closer Look At UFC 132”.

The man known as “Stun Gun” Kim is still technically undefeated at 14-0-1 (1). Kim has fought to a draw once, and a loss on his record was overturned and ruled a No Contest when it was revealed that his opponent, Karo Parisyan, tested positive for banned painkillers. Kim has fought six times in the UFC and only managed to finish an opponent in his UFC debut, fighting to a decision five times since then. Kim was a finisher in the DEEP promotion, though.

Most recently, Kim faced Nate Diaz in a match-up that had some controversy to it. Many accused Kim of utilizing “lay and pray” tactics, others say it was simply effective wrestling. Much has been made of Kim’s post-fight comment of “I want GSP.” He may not be getting Georges St. Pierre at UFC 132, but he’s certainly getting a handful when he steps into the Octagon against Carlos Condit.

Carlos Condit is currently on a three-fight win-streak with two (T)KO stoppages, and has won eleven of his last twelve fights. Even more remarkable, ten of those eleven wins have been stoppages.  This includes winning the WEC Welterweight Championship and defending it three times before making his UFC debut.  In his most-recent fight, Carlos Condit made some serious waves when he knocked out Dan Hardy, the brash Brit with powerful hands of his own.

Before their fight, Hardy had just got done challenging for the UFC Welterweight Championship. Even though that challenge was unsuccessful, Hardy gained a lot of fans due to his toughness and unwillingness to quit. Before the showdown with Condit, Hardy was a veteran of over thirty fights and had never been stopped due to strikes before. Condit would go on to catch Hardy with a vicious shot near the end of Round 1, properly KO’ing him and earning a “Knockout of the Night” bonus.

For this fight, I’ve made no secret of my stance as a Carlos Condit supporter. I just don’t like “Stun Gun” Kim. I think he does use “Lay and Pray” tactics, and I think he has no right to brag and demand title shots since he’s never faced a true top-caliber Welterweight. Condit is a former champion and has found firm ground to stand on in the UFC. He knows what works now, and what doesn’t. His first loss in the UFC and his following win by Split Decision were humbling experiences that he’s learned a whole lot from.

In this fight, I think it’ll go one of two ways. The first way, the one I’m going to hate to see happen if it does, involves Kim abusing the worst of the “lay and pray” system and just turtling up on top of Condit for three rounds. If he does that, this fight will prove once and for all that he’s a boring fighter, just another “lay and pray” wrestler working his way to the top by abusing the benefits of a broken judging system.

The other way, the one I hope happens, involves Kim trying to trade shots with Condit and getting knocked out. If Condit can crack the chin of a guy like Hardy, he can pulverize Kim’s. And that’s exactly what I hope he does.

And that ends day one of “A Closer Look at UFC 132”, fans and friends! Stay tuned, because tomorrow concludes the series and features both the co-main and main event fights.