Chinese bantamweight Song Yadong looks back on his split-decision win over Marlon Vera in Jacksonville, Florida.
Chinese bantamweight contender [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] picked up the win against Marlon Vera in their featherweight UFC on ESPN 8 main card opener, but admitted he wasn’t too impressed with his own performance.
Yadong (16-4-1 MMA, 5-0-1 UFC) snapped Vera’s five-fight win streak to extend his own unbeaten run to nine. But he said his short-notice camp, plus the unexpected drama of last-minute visa issues that threatened to scratch him from the card, played into his performance on the night.
“I think I didn’t do my best, but I’ve been preparing for only two weeks, so since that I think I’m doing good,” he told reporters, including MMA Junkie, via a translator backstage after his win.
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“I was having some visa issues before the fight. Sean Shelby was telling me that I couldn’t fight because of this issue, but my coach Urijah Faber was pushing it to get this done, and luckily we got it done one day before the fight.
“For sure, I was kind of affected by this, and also because of this special situation (fighting during a pandemic). Under all the circumstances I was under a little pressure.”
Yadong battled back and forth with Vera (17-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) in a fight that earned the pair Fight of the Night bonus checks, and the Chinese contender admitted he was unsure whether he’d done enough to claim the win as the scorecards were being totaled.
“I was thinking that way (worried it could go either way) at that moment, as well. I think I didn’t perform that well, but for sure I did all the best I could do.”
Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 8, which saw Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris in Jacksonville, Fla.
The UFC’s third event in an eight-day stretch went down on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 8, which took place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., and aired on ESPN.
In the main event, [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] (46-18 MMA, 11-7 UFC) rallied from an early deficit to stop [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag] (13-8 MMA, 6-7 UFC) by second-round TKO to advance his position in the heavyweight division.
For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for 40 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN 8.
[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag], [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag], [autotag]Miguel Baeza[/autotag] and [autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN 8 fight-night bonuses.
UFC on ESPN 8 drew an announced attendance of zero for a live gate of $0.
Betting favorites went 7-3 on the card. One fight had even odds.
Betting favorites fell to 5-6 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 11-bout card was 1:54:38.
Main card
Alistair Overeem def. Walt Harris
Overeem became the 11th heavyweight in UFC history to earn 11 heavyweight victories.
Overeem has earned 41 of his 46 career victories by stoppage. That includes eight of his 11 UFC wins.
Harris fell to 6-5 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in April 2016.
[autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag]’s (18-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) seven victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (10).
Gadelha has earned six of her seven UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] (12-8 MMA, 6-8 UFC) fell to 6-6 since she returned to the UFC for a second stint in February 2017.
Hill’s three knockout victories in UFC strawweight competition are with Rose Namajunas for most in divisional history.
Hill has suffered six of her eight career losses by decision.
Hill’s eight losses in UFC competition are most for any female in company history.
[autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag]’s (14-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) six-fight UFC winning streak in featherweight competition is tied with Alexander Volkanovski and Zabit Magomedsharipov for the second longest active streak behind Arnold Allen (seven).
[autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] (20-9 MMA, 14-9 UFC) was unsuccessful in his featherweight debut.
Barboza fell to 1-5 in his past six fights dating back to December 2017.
[autotag]Krzysztof Jotko[/autotag] (22-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) has earned eight of his nine UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag] (13-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC) fell to 3-5 in his past eight fights after starting his career on a 10-fight winning streak.
Anders has suffered four of his five career losses by decision.
Vera (15-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) has suffered all six of his career losses by decision.
Preliminary card
Miguel Baeza def. Matt Brown
Baeza (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned seven of his nine career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all of those wins by knockout.
[autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag] (22-17 MMA, 15-11 UFC) fell to 3-6 in his past nine bouts after going on a seven-fight UFC winning streak from 2012-2014.
Brown’s eight stoppage losses in UFC competition are tied for second most in company history behind Tim Boetsch (nine).
[autotag]Anthony Hernandez[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
[autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has earned all three of his UFC victories by decision.
[autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag]’ (24-9 MMA, 14-8 UFC) four-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since January 2018.
Elkins fell to 13-7 since he dropped to the UFC featherweight division in June 2011.
Elkins’ total fight time of 4:24:04 in UFC featherweight competition is second most in divisional history behind Max Holloway (4:32:00).
Elkins’ 41 takedowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Dennis Bermudez (46).
Cortney Casey
Casey (9-7 MMA, 5-6 UFC) was successful in her women’s flyweight debut.
Casey has earned seven of her nine career victories by stoppage. That includes three of her five UFC wins.
[autotag]Mara Romero Borella[/autotag]’s (12-8 MMA, 2-4 UFC) three-fight losing skid is tied for the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since February 2019.
Borella fell to 1-4 in his past five UFC appearances dating back to January 2018.
Borella suffered her first submission loss since Apr. 12, 2014 – a span of 2,226 days (more than six years) and 20 fights.
Borella has completed at least one takedown against all six of her UFC opponents.
[autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned all eight of his career victories by stoppage.
[autotag]Don’Tale Mayes[/autotag] (6-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) has suffered all four of his career losses by stoppage.
Mayes has suffered both of his UFC losses by submission.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
UFC on ESPN 8 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $184,500.
The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.
UFC on ESPN 8 took place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. The card aired on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+.
The full UFC on ESPN 8 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 event.
While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.
Inside, see what the fighters from UFC on ESPN 8 went with as their backing tracks in Jacksonville, Fla.
Song Yadong, Marlon Vera, Cortney Casey and Miguel Baeza each earned $50,000 bonuses at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 event.
[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag], [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag], [autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag] and [autotag]Miguel Baeza[/autotag] each earned $50,000 bonuses for their performances at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 event.
Yadong and Vera earned the “Fight of the Night,” while Casey and Baeza each won “Performance of the Night” honors. UFC officials announced the winners following the event, which MMA Junkie attended.
Yadong (16-4-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) took a unanimous decision from Vera (17-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) in their bantamweight bout to open the main card. The fight was close, and Vera was upset enough at the decision that he snubbed Yadong for a post-fight handshake.
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Casey (9-7 MMA, 5-6 UFC) submitted Mara Romero Borella (12-8 MMA, 2-4 UFC) with a first-round armbar in her move to the women’s flyweight division. It was Casey’s first submission win since November 2016.
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Baeza (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) stayed undefeated with a second-round knockout of veteran Matt Brown (22-17 MMA, 15-11 UFC) to close out the prelims. Brown had big moments in the first round, but Baeza rallied late, then carried that over into the second for a quick KO.
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UFC on ESPN 8 took place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+. It was the UFC’s third fight in an eight-day stretch in Jacksonville.
Song Yadong further elevated his status as one of the top prospects in the sport when he snapped Marlon Vera’s win streak at UFC on ESPN 8.
[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] further elevated his status as one of the top prospects in the sport when he snapped [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]’s win streak at UFC on ESPN 8.
The 22-year-old Yadong (16-4-1 MMA, 5-0-1 UFC) remained unbeaten through his octagon tenure by beating his most difficult to challenge to date with a unanimous decision victory over Vera (17-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) after a gritty affair.
Yadong picked up 29-28 scorecards across the board, landing many powerful strikes over the 15 minutes and overcoming a late push from Vera.
The featherweight bout opened up the UFC on ESPN 8 main card at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. It aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.
The opening minutes of the first round were a feeling-out process, but not a tentative one. Both men exchanged punches and kicks while looking to find an effective range. Yadong landed well in his flurries, while Vera connected with a number of leg kicks. In the latter stages of the frame, the pair tied up and battled from clinch position against the fence.
Vera came out more aggressive to start the second. He continued to pile on leg kicks, and was also able to back Yadong up with his combination in the first few minutes. Yadong had a response, though, landing powerful hooks and counters on Vera. The rest of the round was closely contested as both men swung with bad intentions inside the pocket. Vera had the high point, however, blasting Yadong with a vicious knee. If there was a crowd, the exchanges would’ve certainly sent the fans into frenzy.
Vera opened the final round by charging Yadong with a knee, but instead he was tied up and pushed against the fence. Vera got a reversal and took the fight to the ground for the first time, but couldn’t keep control for long enough to rack up significant points. Yadong landed well the fight was up, but Vera scored a pair of takedowns in the final minute to close the fight out strong.
It went down to the wire, but ultimately Yadong got the win. Vera was frustrated by the decision, refusing to shake hands after the result was announced.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 8 results include:
Song Yadong def. Marlon Vera via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
MMA Junkie’s Dave Doyle walks you through the five biggest storylines going into the UFC’s third show in eight nights.
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It’s been a memorable run for the UFC in Jacksonville, Fla., but the festivities finally come to an end Saturday night.
UFC on ESPN 8 marks the third fight card in eight days to close out the promotion becoming the first major North American sports entity to begin running events during the coronavirus pandemic.
A previously scheduled main event finally gets a chance to go, and it’s a good one: a heavyweight battle between veteran [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] and [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag]. Additionally, the co-headliner has the always active [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] returning to meet [autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag], and there are several other matchups that make this event worth a look.
UFC on ESPN 8 takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
Without further ado, then, here are five burning questions.
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Can Alistair Overeem hit the reset button one more time?
Alistair Overeem. (USA TODAY Sports)
Stop if you’ve heard this one before: Overeem (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) is looking to get himself back into contention after making a critical mistake to lose a fight he was winning.
Several times over the course of his impressive career, Overeem has gone on remarkable runs, only to have them end with tough-to-watch moments. It’s one of the veteran’s most endearing tendencies, as anyone can relate to a person who puts in hard work, nearly gets the job done, comes up just short, then gets started all over again.
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This time, though, things feel a little bit different. Overeem was well on his way to victory over Jairzinho Rozenstruik when Rozenstruik hit a home run in his last-ditch effort and scored the knockout at the 4:56 mark in the final round of their Dec. 7 fight, leaving Overeem with a gnarly lip injury.
And while we’ve seen “The ‘Reem” bounce back before, sometimes better than ever, he also turns 40 on Sunday. Somewhere along the way, this mountain is going to get a little bit too steep to climb. Harris (13-7 MMA, 6-6 UFC) is no joke, so we’re going to find out real fast whether Overeem still has it.
Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 fight between Song Yadong and Marlon Vera, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.
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Song Yadong and Marlon Vera tangle in a featherweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN 8 – also known as ESPN Fight Night 172 – at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+.
Yadong (15-4-1) enters with a slight disadvantage in the reach department, three and a half inches to be exact. He’ll likely try to take down Vera early and often, although a ground game with his opponent can be dangerous. Vera has a 1.41 submission average to just 0.65 for Yadong. Nicknamed “The Terminator,” Yadong enters 7-0-1 across his past eight professional bouts, and is 4-0-1 at the UFC level. He is coming off a majority draw against Cody Stamann Dec. 7, 2019. Three of Yadong’s 19 professional fights have ended via submission, including 1-0 at the UFC level.
Vera (15-5-1) is on a five-bout win streak, taking care of Andre Ewell last time out in a third-round KO/TKO Oct. 12, 2019. Each of his five wins have finished inside the distance, with three via KO/TKO and two on submission victories. In fact, each of his past seven wins have been inside the distance, with only a pair of unanimous decision losses from Oct. 28, 2017-Feb. 3, 2018 to ruin that run. Both of these fighters are strong on the mat, but Vera has the ability to finish in a toe-to-toe brawl. This might be one of the more interesting and even fights on the main card.
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VERA (+140) is worth a roll of the dice, as both fighters are very evenly matched. They have similar fighting styles, and the significant strikes landed per minute and takedown numbers are nearly identical. Vera enters on a roll, having finished inside the distance in each of his past five. Therefore it is a good idea to also take a look at NO (-125): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? prop. Going with UNDER 2.5 (+110) TOTAL NUMBER OF ROUNDS is also worth a small-unit bet, too.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Vera (+140) to win returns a $14 profit. A $10 bet on the fight going less than 2.5 rounds returns an $11 profit, and a bet of No (-125) on the fight going the distance pays a $8 return.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
The UFC wraps up its mini-residency in Florida on Saturday with its third show in eight days.
UFC on ESPN 8 takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+. The event is closed to fans, but the fights still will take place and will be broadcast with essential personnel on site.
In the main event, [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) takes on [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 6-6 UFC) at heavyweight. Harris is the favorite in the fight at around -150, but it’s Overeem with a slight 8-6 edge in the picks from our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts.
In the co-main event, former women’s strawweight title challenger [autotag]Claudia Gadelha[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) takes on [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag] (12-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC), who is fighting for the seventh time in 14 months. Gadelha is the biggest favorite on the card at -210, and she’s the biggest favorite in our picks at 12-2.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] (20-8 MMA, 14-8 UFC) makes the drop from lightweight to featherweight to take on [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who has won five straight. Barboza is a slight favorite, but he’s got a big 10-4 lead from our staff pickers.
[autotag]Eryk Anders[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) may be a mild underdog in his middleweight fight against [autotag]Krzysztof Jotko[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC), but our pickers see it as a coin flip. The picks are dead even at 7-7.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] (17-5-1 MMA, 9-4 UFC) meets [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (15-4-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) in a featherweight fight. Yadong nearly is a 2-1 favorite, and he’s got a heavy 9-5 lead in the picks.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Harris (53 percent), Gadelha (73 percent), Barboza (65 percent), Anders (54 percent) and Yadong (53 percent) are the choices.
