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UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Kim
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Published: 8/22/2014  at  3:29:00 AM
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UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Kim

Saturday, August 23 – 10:00 a.m. ET
Macao, China

Tyron Woodley (13-3) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (19-2-1)

Welterweight bout
Line: Woodley -160, Kim +130

Tyron Woodley looks to respond from a tough loss as he goes up against Dong Hyun Kim in China on Saturday.

Woodley gave it everything he could in his last fight on June 14, but in the end, he was unable to keep up with the ground game of Rory MacDonald, losing by way of unanimous decision. The 32-year-old from St. Louis is a big-time athlete that showed he can compete with anybody when he defeated Carlos Condit on March 15. Woodley is a rare combination of speed and power, and is very strong for the welterweight class. With a win in this fight, he will be knocking on the door for a title chance. However, it will not be easy against a great fighter in Kim. He has been on an absolute tear as of late, winning his past four matches. In his most recent fight on March 1, he defeated John Hathaway with a vicious spinning back elbow in the third round. At 32 years old, Kim is an experienced fighter that has the talent to compete with anybody. This is a very even match, and emotions could play a huge role in this fight. Woodley grew up very close to Ferguson, Missouri, and has been very vocal in his city standing tall. Look for WOODLEY to come out extra motivated in this fight, and to get a big win in convincing style.

"The Chosen One" Woodley has 13 victories in his career, with five of them coming by way of knockout. He also has four wins by both submission and decision. Seven of these nine finishes have occurred in the first round. Besides the emotion he will bring into this fight, Woodley will also have a huge advantage when it comes to striking, landing 2.56 significant strikes per minute, compared to 2.16 for Kim. Both guys are very similar when it comes to landing those significant strikes, with Woodley posting a 54% accuracy compared to 51% by Kim. Woodley's strength could play a key role in this bout, as he has impressive knockout power, but also the speed to land those punches quickly. If he can avoid getting too amped up early and just come out and fight his style, he will be in great shape. Woodley will need to be on top of his game, as he is going up against a stud in Kim.

The South Korean fighter has 19 victories in his career, with 10 of them coming by way of decision. The cardio for "The Stun Gun" is his biggest strength, as he has shown the ability to maintain his strength for the entire fight. He also has eight career victories by knockout and one by submission. His biggest advantage in Saturday's fight will be his ability to take the match to the ground, where he has a takedown average of 3.13, compared to 2.16 for Woodley. The 6-foot-1 Kim also stands four inches taller than his opponent, so his superior reach will also give him an edge. However, very few of his opponents have the ability to defend against the takedown like Woodley does at 92% takedowns defended. Kim comes into this match No. 10, while Woodley is currently No. 4 in the welterweight class. If Kim is able to score the biggest victory of his career, then he has a chance to move up the class. This match will be very important for both fighters, and that should set up for a lot of action.


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