Ji Yeon Kim

Ji Yeon Kim is a South Korean mixed martial artist who built her reputation as a regional champion in Japan and South Korea before joining the UFC in 2017. Born in Incheon and inspired by kickboxing at age 13, Kim compiled a strong amateur record across multiple disciplines: 3-0 in amateur MMA, 6-2 in amateur boxing with 3 knockouts, and 11-2-1 in amateur kickboxing. She earned titles in the Jewels and Gladiator promotions at bantamweight before stepping into the UFC flyweight division at age 27. Her fighting style centers on pressure boxing with a heavy emphasis on body shots and clinch work. With 762 significant strikes landed in her UFC tenure (91% from standing range), Kim operates as a durable, cardio-intensive striker who leans on volume and technique rather than raw power, though she has finished opponents with both knockouts and submissions (three career submission wins, including two rear-naked chokes).

Kim's UFC run was marked by competitive performances against elite opposition, earning two Fight of the Night bonuses: first alongside Molly McCann in a back-and-forth war, and again paired with Priscila Cachoeira in a controversial unanimous decision loss where 14 of 15 media scorecards favored Kim. Her most notable victory came in October 2019, when she finished Nadia Kassem via second-round technical knockout, showcasing her destructive body-shot arsenal. However, Kim accumulated a 5-fight losing streak against top-ranked flyweights, including unanimous decision losses to Alexa Grasso, Molly McCann, Priscila Cachoeira, and Joselyne Edwards. Her UFC tenure ended on a sour note: a controversial split-decision loss to Mandy Bohm in May 2023 that involved two point deductions for fouls, with the second causing the fight to be stopped. That loss led to her removal from the UFC roster in May 2023, ending her time in the promotion at a 3-6 record overall.

Despite the losing record in the UFC, Kim earned respect for her willingness to engage in competitive striking exchanges and her calm, composed demeanor in fights where lesser fighters might have folded. A purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and 3rd-degree black belt in Hapkido, she represents a complete combat athlete who peaked as a top-tier regional champion but found the elite flyweight division a step too far. Weight-cutting issues in her final years (missing weight twice) and the controversial nature of her final loss left a complicated legacy, but her two Fight of the Night awards and knockout power from body work secured her a place as a respected, if ultimately outmatched, flyweight competitor in the world's premier MMA promotion.