| Ji Yeon Kim | |||||||||
| Birth Name: | Kim Ji-yeon | ||||||||
| Other Names: | Fire Fist | ||||||||
| Birth Date: | 18 October 1989 | ||||||||
| Birth Place: | Incheon, South Korea | ||||||||
| Fighting Out Of: | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | ||||||||
| Weight Kg: | 56.7 | ||||||||
| Weight Class: | Bantamweight (2013–2017) Flyweight (2018–present) | ||||||||
| Reach In: | 72 | ||||||||
| Rank: | Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[1] 3rd degree black belt in Hapkido Black belt in Wushu | ||||||||
| Team: | Impact Gym MOB Training Center[2] Syndicate MMA (2021–present)[3] | ||||||||
| Years Active: | 2013–present | ||||||||
| Mma Kowin: | 2 | ||||||||
| Mma Subwin: | 3 | ||||||||
| Mma Decwin: | 4 | ||||||||
| Mma Decloss: | 7 | ||||||||
| Mma Draw: | 2 | ||||||||
| Sherdog: | 77250 | ||||||||
| Module2: |
| ||||||||
Kim Ji-yeon (Korean: 김지연; born October 18, 1989), often anglicized Ji Yeon Kim, is a South Korean mixed martial artist (MMA). She was the Jewels and Gladiator women's bantamweight champion. She competed in the Women's Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Kim was born and raised in Incheon, South Korea. She started training in the 8th grade after seeing a kickboxing match on television, which set off her desire for a career in combat sports.[4] She also wrestled in junior middle school and high school in her native South Korea.
Kim started her professional MMA career in 2013 and fought primarily in South Korea and Japan. Kim acquired a six-fight winning streak and became the Jewels[5] and Gladiator women's bantamweight champion prior to joining the UFC.[6]
Kim made her UFC debut on June 17, 2017. Kim faced Lucie Pudilová at in Singapore.[7] She lost the fight via unanimous decision.[8]
Kim next faced Justine Kish on January 27, 2018, at .[9] She won the fight via split decision.[10]
Her third fight came on June 23, 2018, at against Melinda Fábián.[11] She won the fight via split decision.[12]
Kim faced Antonina Shevchenko, replacing injured Ashlee Evans-Smith, on November 30, 2018, at The Ultimate Fighter 28 Finale.[13] At the weigh-ins, Kim weighed in at 130.5 pounds, 4.5 pounds over the flyweight non-title fight limit of 126. She was fined 20 percent of her purse, which went to her opponent Shevchenko. The bout proceeded at catchweight.[14] She lost the fight via unanimous decision.[15]
Kim faced Nadia Kassem on October 6, 2019, at UFC 243.[16] At the weigh-ins, Kim weighed in at 128 pounds, 2 pound over the flyweight non-title fight limit of 126. Kim was fined 30% of her purse, which went to her opponent Kassem.[17] She won the fight via technical knockout in round two.[18]
Kim was scheduled to face Sabina Mazo on December 21, 2019, on UFC on ESPN+ 23.[19] However, on November 1, 2019, it was reported that Kim was forced to pull from the event due to undisclosed injury.[20]
Kim was scheduled to face Alexa Grasso on June 27, 2020, at .[21] However, due to travel restrictions for both fighters due to COVID-19 pandemic, the bout was rescheduled on August 29, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 175.[22] She lost the fight via unanimous decision.[23]
Kim was scheduled to face Poliana Botelho on May 1, 2021, at UFC on ESPN 23.[24] However, Kim pulled out of the fight on March 22 citing injury and was replaced by Mayra Bueno Silva.[25]
Kim faced Molly McCann on September 4, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 191.[26] She lost the fight via unanimous decision.[27] The back-and-forth bout won both contestants the Fight of the Night bonus award.[28]
Kim was scheduled to face Poliana Botelho on January 22, 2022, at UFC 270,[29] but Botelho pulled out instead and the pairing was scrapped.[30] [31]
Kim faced Priscila Cachoeira on February 26, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 202.[32] She lost the bout via controversial[33] [34] [35] unanimous decision.[36] 14 out of 15 media scored Kim as the winner of the fight.[37] Along with Cachoeira, Kim was awarded the Fight of the Night bonus award; her second overall.[38]
Kim was scheduled to face Mariya Agapova at UFC 277 on July 30, 2022.[39] However, Agapova was forced out of the fight due to knee injury and she was replaced by Joselyne Edwards.[40] She lost the fight via split decision.[41]
Kim was scheduled to face Mandy Böhm on February 4, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 218.[42] However, Böhm was forced to withdraw before the event start due to illness and the bout was cancelled.[43] The pair was rebooked for UFC on ABC 4.[44] Kim lost the fight via a split technical decision (27–28, 28–27, 28–27) after receiving two separate point deductions for fouls, the second of which resulted in the fight being stopped part way through the third round after Böhm could no longer continue.[45]
After the loss, it was reported on May 16 that Kim was no longer on the UFC roster.[46]
|- |Loss|align=center|9–7–2|Mandy Böhm|Technical Decision (split)|||align=center|3|align=center|1:55|Charlotte, North Carolina, United States||-|Loss|align=center|9–6–2|Joselyne Edwards|Decision (split)|UFC 277||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Dallas, Texas, United States||-|Loss|align=center|9–5–2|Priscila Cachoeira|Decision (unanimous)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Loss|align=center|9–4–2|Molly McCann|Decision (unanimous)| ||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Loss|align=center|9–3–2|Alexa Grasso|Decision (unanimous)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Win|align=center|9–2–2|Nadia Kassem|KO (punches to the body)|UFC 243 ||align=center|2|align=center|4:59|Melbourne, Australia||-|Loss|align=center|8–2–2|Antonina Shevchenko|Decision (unanimous)|The Ultimate Fighter: Heavy Hitters Finale ||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States| |-| Win| align=center| 8–1–2| Melinda Fábián| Decision (split)| | | align=center| 3| align=center| 5:00| Kallang, Singapore||-| Win| align=center| 7–1–2| Justine Kish| Decision (split)| | | align=center| 3| align=center| 5:00| Charlotte, North Carolina, United States||-| Loss| align=center| 6–1–2| Lucie Pudilová| Decision (unanimous)| | | align=center| 3| align=center| 5:00| Kallang, Singapore||-| Win| align=center| 6–0–2| Tao Li| Submission (rear-naked choke)| Top FC 13| | align=center| 2| align=center| 1:30| Seoul, South Korea||-| Win| align=center| 5–0–2| Jin Tang| Decision (unanimous)| Kunlun Fight: Cage Fight Series 5 / Top FC 11| | align=center| 3| align=center| 5:00| Seoul, South Korea||-| Win| align=center| 4–0–2| Takayo Hashi| Decision (unanimous)| Deep Jewels 9| | align=center| 3| align=center| 5;00| Tokyo, Japan||-| Win| align=center| 3–0–2| Hatice Ozyurt| Submission (armbar)| Road FC 23| | align=center| 2| align=center| 1:14| Seoul, South Korea||-| Win| align=center| 2–0–2| Miki Miyauchi| TKO (knees and punches)| Gladiator 81| | align=center| 2| align=center| 0:18| Tokyo, Japan| |-| Win| align=center| 1–0–2| Yukimi Kamikaze| Submission (rear-naked choke)| Road FC 18| | align=center| 1| align=center| 1:57| Seoul, South Korea||-|Draw| align=center| 0–0–2| Takayo Hashi| Draw (unanimous)| Road FC: Korea vs. Japan| | align=center| 2| align=center| 5:00| Seoul, South Korea| |-|Draw| align=center| 0–0–1| Shizuka Sugiyama| Draw (Majority)| Deep: Cage Impact 2013| | align=center| 2| align=center| 5:00| Tokyo, Japan||-[47]