UFC Fight Night Macao: Kim vs. Hathaway LowKick Predictions

Photo: Jason Silva for USA TODAY Sports

Dong Hyun Kim vs. John Hathaway:

Mike Drahota: In a bout of the only two fighters actually on win streaks inside the octagon, both Kim and Hathaway look to run theirs to four. ‘Stun Gun’ and ‘Hitman’ are two of the finest wrestlers in the UFC 170-pound division, and that’s saying a lot. But that doesn’t exactly bode well for fight fans in Macau. With 18 decision victories between them, this one has decision written all over it in bold lettering. Kim could surprise with more of the impressive striking that he used to knock out Erick Silva, but Hathaway is a lot less likely to leave himself exposed than the wild Brazilian. Still, Hathaway has been out of the cage for around 17 months, and ‘Stun Gun’ is a very tough challenge to come back against. My pick is Kim by unanimous decision.

Rory Kernaghan: Dong Hyun Kim and John Hathaway will go at it on Saturday, although not on the biggest UFC stage. The two will nonetheless throw down at TUF China finals. I predict that Hathaway’s smooth style will negate the unpredictability of Kim. ‘Stun Gun’ shocked Erick Silva recently, knocking the favorite clean out in their October showing. Although Hathaway has a great style to fit Kim’s, he has been laid up for almost two years now. Partner that with Kim’s form as of late, and I get the conclusion that Kim will take home a one-sided decision.

Brian Cox: Dong Hyun Kim vs. John Hathaway should be a good fight. Both are tough and both have decent chins. Of the two Hathaway has the better one. In 18 fights Hathaway has never been T/KO’d, where Kim has had his lights turned out twice in 20 bouts. Regarding their ground games, neither fighter is particularly known for their ground skills and cumulatively, they only have five submissions between them. As such, their match is apt to stay on the feet. Given that both fighters prefer to stand and trade, and that both are decision heavy in their records, I expect the fight to go the distance and be decided by decision. I think Kim will be the general in the ring, push the fight and the pace, and cull the win on points. Resultantly, I’m picking Dong Hyun Kim to take the fight by way of split decision.

Buster Evans: The main event between John Hathaway and Dong Hyun Kim is being dramatically overlooked in my opinion. Kim is an elite welterweight and possibly deserves to have a higher ranking than his current ranking of number 11. Hathaway is also a very talented mixed martial artist who has continued to improve in his time in the UFC, but against Kim, I think he is totally outmatched and will have a rough time tomorrow. I predict “The Stun Gun” to win with a dominant decision.