UFC 148: 5 Fights for Dong Hyun Kim to Take Next

It seems like only a few months ago that Dong Hyun Kim was considered a legitimate welterweight contender. 

He had freakish strength for the division, and his opponents could not handle his flawless blend of Judo, accurate striking and superior ground control.

Kim was on the brink of title contention...until Carlos Condit kneed him in the face.

After suffering a brutal loss to the now-interim champion, Kim rebounded nicely with a dominant unanimous decision victory over Sean Pierson at UFC 141. 

When he was offered a bout against Demian Maia, a former title challenger at middleweight, many thought Kim would make the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu wizard's welterweight debut a losing effort. 

As fate would have it, Kim instead suffered a disappointing loss after injuring a rib while being taken down by Maia early in the first round. Maia sensed his opponent's injury and stood up, signaling an anti-climatic ending to a bout with a ton of potential. 

Kim needs a win in his next outing, and here are five great matchups to get the South Korean standout back on track. 

Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson

Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson has perhaps the best standup game in the UFC's welterweight division, but that's not what is important here. 

Just as his standup is world-class, Thompson's ground game is in a class by itself...at the bottom of the UFC's talent pool. 

If there is one fighter I feel Kim could dominate in the UFC's welterweight division, it is Stephen Thompson. 

In a must-win for Kim; there is no reason we wouldn't see his hand raised in a bout against "Wonderboy."

TJ Waldburger

TJ Waldburger is coming off a disappointing loss of his own against Brian Ebersole at UFC on FX: Guida vs. Maynard.

The young Waldburger has a well-rounded skill set that makes him decent wherever the fight goes, but he is not outstanding in any particular area. 

In their bout, Ebersole showed that Waldburger has trouble escaping from his back with a dominant fighter on top, and Kim fits this bill perfectly. 

If Kim wants to rebound with a win, Waldburger could be the man to provide it. 

Charlie Brenneman

Charlie Brenneman is coming off a disappointing loss to rising welterweight prospect Erick Silva at UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall and is in desperate need of a win of his own.

Brenneman burst on the scene when he upset Rick Story as a late replacement at UFC Live: Kongo vs. Barry, and he has been an off-and-on fighter in the 170-lb division since. 

Brenneman is a true professional and always comes to fight when it is his time to step into the Octagon, and he would provide a stern test for Kim in a potential matchup between two fighters needing to get back on track.

Claude 'The Prince' Patrick

Versatile Canadian Claude Patrick is another good choice for Dong Hyun Kim's next UFC opponent. 

Patrick has a nicely polished skill set that makes him dangerous wherever the fight goes, and he trains with other UFC products Mark Bocek and Sean Pierson on a regular basis.

Since Pierson has fought Kim in the past and lost; Patrick could be looking for revenge for his teammate, making this a fast-paced and action-packed affair for the fans. 

Justin Edwards

Justin Edwards, like Dong Hyun Kim, has not found consistency inside the UFC Octagon. He is 1-2 in the promotion, with the lone win sandwiched between two losses. 

I'm starting to sound like a broken record here, but the reality is that Kim is now near the bottom of the division, and every fighter is fighting for his livelihood at this level. 

Both fighters need a win, and Kim is the more accomplished grappler, which would most likely lead to victory for the South Korean. 

While it is not the most high-profile matchup ever, a bout with Justin Edwards makes sense at this point in Kim's plummeting career.