kim made his ufc debut at "ufc 84" against jason tan, methodically breaking down his opponent and ultimately winning by technical knockout in the third round. with his performance, kim became the first korean to win in the octagon. kim's appearance drew considerable attention in korea. one week before the event, a prime time, hour-long special about kim was aired on korean television. though kim's bout did not air on the ufc pay-per-view, it aired live on korean television, and was then replayed twice more before the regular event coverage resumed.