Tag: Song Yadong

UFC 299 ‘Embedded,’ No. 2: Sean O’Malley gets his hair colored, ready for Miami

With input from his wife, Sean O’Malley picks out his hair colors for UFC 299 in the second installment of “Embedded.”

The UFC is back for its third pay-per-view of 2024, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 299 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Kaseya Center in Miami.

In the main event, bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) makes his first title defense against [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] (21-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC), with the champ looking to avenge his only loss, which came against “Chito” by TKO in 2020. The co-headliner is a five-round lightweight showdown between veteran [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (29-8 MMA, 21-7 UFC) and rising contender [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who has a golden opportunity to make a name for himself on a big stage.

Also featured on the main card is the debut former Bellator star [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] (21-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) against [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (25-10 MMA, 12-7 UFC) in a welterweight bout; [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] (22-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) vs. [autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in another welterweight showcase; and former bantamweight champion [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) looking to get back on track against rising Chinese star [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (21-7-1 MMA, 10-2-1 UFC).

The second episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Marlon “Chito” Vera sees to business and chills with Ben Azelart. Champ Sean O’Malley gets caffeinated and colorful. Jack Della Maddalena checks out Florida’s gators. Benoit Saint Denis trains to face a legend. “Suga” Sean travels in style.

Also watch:

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

UFC 299 ‘Embedded,’ No. 1: Michael Page locked in, says ‘you are going to enjoy everything’ about debut

In the first episode of UFC 299 “Embedded,” Michael Page let’s us in on his mindset heading into his long-awaited promotional debut.

The UFC is back for its third pay-per-view of 2024, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 299 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Kaseya Center in Miami.

In the main event, bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) makes his first title defense against [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] (21-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC), with the champ looking to avenge his only loss, which came against “Chito” by TKO in 2020. The co-headliner is a five-round lightweight showdown between veteran [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (29-8 MMA, 21-7 UFC) and rising contender [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who has a golden opportunity to make a name for himself on a big stage.

Also featured on the main card is the debut former Bellator star [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] (21-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) against [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (25-10 MMA, 12-7 UFC) in a welterweight bout; [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] (22-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) vs. [autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in another welterweight showcase; and former bantamweight champion [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) looking to get back on track against rising Chinese star [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (21-7-1 MMA, 10-2-1 UFC).

The first episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Champ Sean O’Malley goes from gym to salon. Gilbert Burns trains with Kamaru Usman. Marlon “Chito” Vera takes family time. Benoit Saint Denis arrives; Michael “Venom” Page readies to make his debut. Dustin Poirier puts in work.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC fights announced in the past week (Dec. 11-17)

All the UFC fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Dec. 11-17.

UFC 299 adds Song Yadong vs. Petr Yan to stacked Miami lineup

A long-rumored UFC bantamweight contender bout between Song Yadong and Petr Yan is on the books.

LAS VEGAS – UFC 299 in Miami is loaded with big contender fights and the additions keep coming.

A long-rumored bantamweight bout between [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] and [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] is on the books for the March 9 event at Kaseya Center, UFC CEO Dana White announced Saturday following UFC 296.

Song (21-7-1 MMA, 10-2 UFC) and Yan (16-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) were initially linked for a Dec. 9 bout in Shanghai, China. However, it never materialized and Song was matched with Chris Gutierrez instead. The bout was eventually moved to Las Vegas. Song won by unanimous decision. The win over Gutierrez was his second in a row, after a knockout of Ricky Simon.

Yan is a former UFC bantamweight champion, who enters the bout on a three-fight skid. The losses were against Aljamain Sterling, Sean O’Malley, and Merab Dvalishvili. He has not competed since March.

With the addition, the UFC 299 fight card includes:

  • Champion Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera – for bantamweight title
  • Gilbert Burns vs. Jack Della Maddalena
  • Jailton Almeida vs. Curtis Blaydes
  • Ian Machado Garry vs. Geoff Neal
  • Song Yadong vs. Petr Yan
  • Pedro Munhoz vs. Kyler Phillips
  • Asu Almabaev vs. CJ Vergara
  • Maycee Barber vs. Katlyn Chookagian
  • Rafael dos Anjos vs. Mateusz Gamrot
  • Lauren Murphy vs. Karine Silva
  • Kevin Holland vs. Michael Page

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Dec. 12: Song Yadong, Khalil Rountree move upward

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following UFC Fight Night 233 in Las Vegas.

The UFC’s penultimate event of 2023 in Las Vegas produced a few moves in this week’s rankings update.

UFC Fight Night 233 took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and was headlined by a bantamweight bout between [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] and Chris Gutierrez.

Song, who entered the week at No. 9 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings, soundly defeated Gutierrez by unanimous decision. As a result, Song’s performance was strong enough to climb one spot in this week’s update, settling in at No. 8 behind former champion Petr Yan.

Also making waves at the event was light heavyweight [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] in a bout against short-notice opponent Anthony Smith. Rountree badly rocked and dropped the former title challenger in Round 3, leading to a walk-off TKO stoppage. Rountree entered the week at No. 12, but climbed up one spot for the easy swap with Smith, who held No. 11.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.

Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Song Yadong after UFC Fight Night 233 win?

Song Yadong has won four of five fights after UFC Fight Night 233 and, whether it’s Petr Yan or not, is in store for something big next.

The UFC’s final non-PPV main event of the year went the way of [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 233, and it wasn’t particularly close.

Song (21-7-1 MMA, 10-2-1 UFC) had his way with Chris Gutierrez (20-6-2 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) for the majority of five rounds in their bantamweight headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, earning him a unanimous decision victory and his fourth triumphant performance in his past five octagon efforts.

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Although it wasn’t the most entertaining contest or spectacular finish of his career, Song gets valuable experience and continued to hold serve in a loaded 135-pound weight class.

The Chinese fighter firmly called out former champion Petr Yan after his win, but also said any top-five fighter in the division would satisfy him.

So what should be next for Song? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on his future after UFC Fight Night 233.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 233.

4 biggest takeaways from UFC Fight Night 233: The fallout of Khalil Rountree punishing Anthony Smith

Analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC Fight Night 233, including the fallout of Khalil Rountree battering Anthony Smith.

What mattered most at UFC Fight Night 233 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas? Here are a few post-fight musings …

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UFC Fight Night 233 post-event facts: Khalil Rountree inches closer to Chuck Liddell’s KO record

Check out all the facts from UFC Fight Night 233, which saw Khalil Rountree move closer to Chuck Liddell’s longstanding knockout record.

There’s just one event left on the UFC’s 2023 schedule after UFC Fight Night 233 came to a conclusion on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

An underwhelming lineup fell in the shadow of UFC 296 this weekend, and the main event wasn’t particularly memorable as [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (21-7-1 MMA, 10-2-1 UFC) proved to be too much for [autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag] (20-6-2 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) in their bantamweight matchup en route to a unanimous decision win.

For more on the numbers to come out of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts about UFC Fight Night 233.

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Song Yadong fires back at Petr Yan after UFC Fight Night 233: ‘His last fight was boring, too’

Song Yadong says Petr Yan looked “like sh*t” in his most recent bout and wants to test his boxing vs. the former UFC champ next.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] doubled down on his callout of former bantamweight champion [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] after a convincing win over Chris Gutierrez in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 233 main event.

Song (21-7-1 MMA, 10-2-1 UFC) was dominant throughout five rounds of his headliner at the UFC Apex, earning a unanimous decision over Gutierrez (20-6-2 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) in a somewhat lackluster affair. The Chinese fighter claims he was hunting for the finish, but he simply couldn’t be as effective with his offense as some other performances.

“I was ready for his leg kicks,” Song told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at UFC Fight Night 233. “In the fight, I want to knock everyone out, but this guy comes very good. I couldn’t find the distance. He always use his faints, his kicks. But my coach, Urijah (Faber), told me to go more MMA style, and I went to the legs and took him down. In the fourth round, I knew he was very tired, and I wanted to finish him. But he kept holding me on the ground.”

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With wins in four of his past five fights, Song is looking for a step up in competition. He was originally linked to a matchup with Petr Yan on the card, but it failed to materialize.

Song said prior to UFC Fight Night 233 that he would call out Yan with a win, and he did just that in his post-fight interview with Paul Felder. Yan responded with a yawning emoji on social media, which could be seen as disinterest in the matchup.

That doesn’t fly with Song, however, and he’s convinced it’s the pairing to make.

“I already fought two guys lower than me, so I want to fight Petr Yan,” Song said. “He post the emoji. It means the fight was boring. but his last fight was boring, too – like sh*t. Let’s fight at UFC 299. I heard that he wants to fight in March. We can fight in March. We both don’t go back. Let’s go face-to-face. Let’s see who’s boxing is good. Let’s see who is the best boxer in this division.”

Despite his strong desire to fight Yan next, Song isn’t entrenching himself in getting that fight, he said. He just wants to take meaningful strides toward the 135-pound belt and is eager to get a name that fulfills that objective.

“Anyone in the top five,” Song said. “I want top-five fighters. I don’t want to fight outside of top 10.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 233.

UFC Fight Night 233 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $22 million

UFC Fight Night 233 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 233 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $159,500

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 Fight Night 233 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 233 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Nasrat Haqparast[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Jamie Mullarkey[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Su Mudaerji[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Andre Muniz[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Junyong Park[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Kevin Jousset[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Song Kenan[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]HyunSung Park[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Shannon Ross[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Steve Garcia[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Melquizael Costa[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Luana Santos[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Stephanie Egger[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Carlos Hernandez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Talita Alencar[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Rayanne Amanda[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’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 2331 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

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 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $7,848,500
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $22,367,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 233.