2017 ONE Championship: Immortal Pursuit

Dae Hwan Kim Returns With Bantamweight Gold On His Mind

Dae Hwan Kim Returns With Bantamweight Gold On His Mind

ONE Championship bantamweight contender Dae Hwan Kim believes he can secure a title shot with a victory over Leandro Issa.

Nov 21, 2017 by Duane Finley
Dae Hwan Kim Returns With Bantamweight Gold On His Mind

Dae Hwan Kim is ready to get back to business. And that business has everything to with resuming the hunt for championship gold.

After two years away from the ONE Champion cage, “Ottogi” will make his long-awaited return to face Leandro Issa at ONE: Immortal Pursuit this Friday on FloCombat (U.S. only). During his time away, the South Korean bantamweight poured his focus into coaching and grooming other athletes on his team, but now the tides have shifted and Kim is ready to jump back into the driver’s seat.

Watch ONE: Immortal Pursuit LIVE on FloCombat

Kim will now face Issa in a fight he believes will put him within striking distance of a title shot should victory be obtained in Singapore. Furthermore, the resurgent contender is confident he’ll make an undeniable case for a shot at reigning king Bibiano Fernandes with an impressive and dominant performance against Issa.

“I was hungry,” Kim told ONEFC.com. “I asked for a match within a month. I did not know (Andrew) Leone had withdrawn (from the fight against Issa), but the timing was right.

“I think [Issa] is the closest to the ONE bantamweight world title. He has a lot of experience and good jiu-jitsu. He is a good partner to test myself.”

While he didn’t come out on the winning end of things in his first tussle with Fernandes in December 2014, Kim is supremely confident a rematch would result in his hand being raised.

“I came back to take the title from Bibiano. The ONE bantamweight world title is mine," Kim added. “I tasted the experience of Bibiano in the first leg. The second game will be an easy match for me.”

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