UFC Fight Night 34: Saffiedine Edges Lim In A War
The UFC Fight Night 34 main event between Tarec Saffiedine and Hyun Gyu Lim is in the books and Saffiedine has made a successful Octagon debut.
The fight kicked off tentatively with Lim controlling the Octagon. Saffiedine landed a good left hand and Lim responded with a knee to the body. Saffiedine threw two of his trademark leg kicks, snapping them home with a thud. Lim responded by flooring Saffiedine with a huge counter right hand. “Sponge” got back to his feet quickly and the two fighters exchanged shots. Lim dropped Saffiedine again with a counter right hand off a leg kick. The Korean had found his timing and his punches were landing effectively when the first came to a close.
Saffiedine threw a front kick to start the second and kept moving. Lim threw a big shot and Saffiedine fought back with some huge power right hands. He blasted Lim with another leg kick and a right. Lim was working the jab but threw a wild combination that only partly landed, opening up an opportunity for Saffiedine to put on a striking clinic. He blasted Lim with right hands over the top and more leg kicks, bruising Lim’s lead leg similar as he did to Nate Marquardt last January.
The third round saw the pace slow at first, but Saffiedine then dropped Lim with a right. Saffiedine quickly changed levels to take down Lim, who looked to grab a leg for a submission. Lim got back to his feet and ate a big low kick that dropped him. Saffiedine swarmed the grounded Korean, kicking Lim’s leg before settling into half guard. The fight was stood up and Saffiedine blasted Lim’s leg with a kick that dropped him. Another one followed and Lim was obviously hurt bad as the third round came to a close.
Saffiedine went to the well again to open the fourth as Lim was in desperation mode and throwing wildly. Saffiedine hit Lim with a knee to the body and then a flying knee to ground “Ace.” Saffiedine went for a choke but ended up in the mount. Lim was exhausted and eating shots as he gave up his back yet again. It was a dominant frame for the Belgian.
The final round saw Lim’s left leg buckle with more leg kicks, but he showed a ton of heart in unleashing flurries of his own. Many punches found a home for Lim but Saffiedine used his go-to tactic to drop him again. Lim threw some absolutely huge punches and knees to towards the end of the fight. Saffiedine was in trouble but got saved by the bell to earn the unanimous decision victory.
Saffiedine looked very impressive in his Octagon debut. He put on a pinpoint striking clinic that has come to define his style. He may not get many finishes but it’s hard to say his fights are boring after a war like this. He’ll receive an noted step up in competition in his quest for UFC welterweight gold, and he could become a legit player with one more win in the tough division.
Lim won’t fall much with the loss. He showed an extreme amount of determination and will be back soon to put on another exciting bout. He’s an absolutely massive welterweight who comes to fight every time. The future looks bright for “Ace.”
Outer Photo: Mark D. Smith for USA TODAY Sports
