Dae Hwan Kim Moves into the Spotlight at Friday’s One FC: Moment of Truth

While he may not be known on an international level as much as he could be, South Korean bantamweight Dae Hwan Kim has built himself quite the career over the last five years.

Kim has won eight of nine fights (with one draw) with finishes in five bouts and has claimed multiple promotional championships since starting his career in 2008.

With his success, Kim has earned a place with One FC and will get an opportunity to make a name for himself on one of the biggest stages in MMA when he makes his debut for the company on its Dec. 6 show in Manila, Philippines.

“(My career so far) has gone very well,” said Kim. “I have managed to stay undefeated in my career, which I am very happy with. I look forward to keep that trend going in One FC against the best in Asia.”

Even though things have mostly gone his way during his career, Kim admitted that sometimes the hectic schedule of being a sought after prospect can be difficult, as he’s only fought MMA twice in the last two years following a very busy 2011.

“I took some time off to recover after doing four bouts in less than 40 days,” said Kim. “It gave my body time to heal so that I can get back to being 100-percent.

“I then went back to the gym and just spent a lot of time working on refining my techniques, while waiting for the opportunity to compete again.”

At One FC 13 on Dec. 6, Kim (8-0-1) will take on Thanh Vu (3-2) in a feature bout on the evening’s card.

“I do not know much about Thanh, but it will not be a problem for me,” said Kim. “I rarely study my opponent.

“Sometimes, I get game plans from my coaches, but other times I just make sure I enter the bout well prepared and that my skills are better than my opponent. I am not worried about what he can do.”

Even though he is confident he will be able to handle Vu, Kim told MMAWeekly.com that he knows the significance this bout will have for his career.

“It is very important,” he said. “One FC is the largest MMA organization in Asia and that is where all the top fighters are. This is a huge step up in competition and there is no bigger platform in the world.

“I need to make a statement in this division to all the top contenders that I am coming. I can’t wait to showcase my skills in front of 20,000 fans in Philippines. You don’t want to miss Dec. 6 because I am coming to put on a show.”