Dae Hwan Kim’s Greatest ONE Championship Fights

“Ottogi” Dae Hwan Kim has been one of the bantamweight division’s perennial top contenders since entering ONE Championship back in December 2013.

Now, the South Korean star is set to return against former ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov at ONE: COLLISION COURSE II this Friday, 25 December, and he knows a victory could propel him into the ONE Athlete Rankings.

Ahead of this previously recorded clash at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, check out three of “Ottogi’s” best victories on the global stage.

#1 Tapping Out A Future World Champion

Kim squared off with Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon at ONE: WAR OF NATIONS back in May 2014 and earned a stunning first-round victory.

Both fighters were tentative in the early striking exchanges until –in a rare change of tactics – the Filipino took the bout to the canvas. “Ottogi” got back to his feet, but Belingon persisted and took the South Korean down again.

“The Silencer” chipped away with punches and then jumped on an opportunistic bulldog choke as Kim worked his way up to his knees. Unfortunately for Belingon, his attempt amounted to nothing, and “Ottogi” finally managed to free his head from the tight hold.

The balance of power then switched dramatically into Kim’s favor as he moved straight into a dominant top position and dropped heavy strikes.

After softening his man up with punches and elbows, “Ottogi” secured back control and slid his right arm underneath the Team Lakay star’s chin. The finish was a formality from there, as Kim squeezed the rear-naked choke until Belingon waved the white flag.

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#2 A Striking Masterclass Leads To TKO

Durable Chinese striker Ayideng “A.J.” Jumayi wanted to impress in his debut on the global stage at ONE: FOR HONOR in May 2019, but instead, he found “Ottogi” in fine form.

Both mixed martial artists patiently probed and feinted to find an opening in the first few minutes of the contest, but things ignited as the hard-hitting athletes put their feet on the gas.

Kim and Jumayi started going toe-to-toe in the center of the ring, where the KukJe Gym representative landed the more accurate shots in the flurries, and a pair of thudding uppercuts got “A.J.’s” attention.

“Ottogi” then clubbed his foe with a hard overhand right that sent him reeling backward. Clearly stunned, Jumayi stumbled into the corner, where Kim unleashed a barrage of punches to score the TKO win at 4:11 of the opening frame.

#3 A Complete Display Of Mixed Martial Arts

There was not much to separate Kim and Zhao Zhi Kang in their bantamweight tussle at ONE: WARRIOR’S DREAM in November 2018, but the South Korean got the nod from the judges after a thrilling 15-minute battle.

In a brilliant display of his mixed martial arts skills, the Seoul native landed an array of strikes, showcased his offensive and defensive wrestling skills, and proved his submission prowess on the ground.

“Ottogi” came close to finishing Zhao with a rear-naked choke in the second round and constantly kept up the pressure with his punches and low kicks. He also showed incredible resilience to eat hard shots from the Chinese Sanda Champion.

With three rounds in the books, the South Korean earned another win against elite-level opposition.

Read more: Full Card Revealed For ONE: COLLISION COURSE II