UFC Fight Night 29's Dong Hyun Kim on title: 'I'll get there when I get there'

BARUERI, Brazil – Despite an impressive career record and eight octagon victories, Dong Hyun Kim may very well be the UFC’s most under-appreciated welterweight contender. Kim insists the lack of recognition doesn’t matter – his goals are much higher than appearing on a top-10 list.

“There’s saying in Korea, that instead of letting a small bucket overflow, you need to fill up a pond,” Kim told MMAjunkie.com through an interpreter. “Little by little you get there. It’s not necessary for me to be up there right now. I’ll get there when I get there.”

Kim (17-2-1 MMA, 8-2 UFC) faces Erick Silva (15-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) in the FOX Sports 1-broadcast co-main event of tonight’s UFC Fight Night 29 event, which takes place at Jose Correa Arena in Barueri, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The 31-year-old judo-specialist’s record in the UFC is an interesting one. He’s 3-1 in his past four fights, but the lone loss in that run came in bizarre fashion, when he suffered a rib injury in the opening round of a July 2012 fight with UFC Fight Night 29 headliner Demian Maia. 

It’s a contest many grappling enthusiasts were looking forward to seeing, and Kim admits he would appreciate an opportunity to revisit the matchup.

“I would love a rematch with Maia,” Kim said. “That time, I broke a rib, and I lost in the first round like that. But yeah, I would like a rematch, and I would win.”

Kim has but one other loss on his UFC resume, a 2011 defeat at the hands of an always-dangerous Carlos Condit. Unofficially, he also lost in 2009 to Karo Parisyan, but “The Heat” tested positive for prescription painkillers after the bout, and the result was changed to a no contest.

Outside of those blemishes, Kim has downed a host of recognizable names including Siyar Bahadurzada, Nate Diaz, Matt Brown, T.J. Grant, Sean Pierson, Amir Sadollah and Paulo Thiago, among others.

Tonight, after more than nine years in the sport, Kim fights for the first time in Brazil. While it’s always tough to adjust to settling into a fight-week routine in a new environment, Kim said he’s enjoyed the build-up to fight night.

“It feels very similar to my hometown,” Kim said. “I love the food down here. Everything is fine.”

For both Kim and Silva, UFC Fight Night 29 could prove a significant moment in their respective fighting careers. After all, Silva is considered a top prospect at 170 pounds. Fighting in front of a friendly crowd, the Brazilian masses are hoping it will prove a showcase fight for their countryman.

Kim sees it completely differently.

“I came in here to break the plans,” Kim said. “People expect a lot from Erick because he’s a fan-favorite, but I don’t.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 29, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.