Tag: Song Yadong

UFC free fight: Song Yadong overwhelms Ricky Simon, gets fifth-round TKO win

Watch Song Yadong get a fifth-round stoppage win over Ricky Simon.

[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] proved that his power carries late.

This past April, “The Kung Fu Kid” got his latest career win, stopping veteran Ricky Simon a minute into the fifth round of their bantamweight contest. It was an impressive showing that got Yadong a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, and it also marked his first UFC main event win.

You can watch Yadong’s performance in the video above.

Yadong (20-7-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) return to the octagon this Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night 233 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He takes on Gutierrez (20-4-2 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC). UFC Fight Night 233 streams on ESPN+.

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

Song Yadong eyes Petr Yan after Chris Gutierrez: ‘I want to know whose boxing is better’

Song Yadong hopes he can fight Petr Yan after UFC Fight Night 233.

[autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] hopes he can fight [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] after UFC Fight Night 233.

Yadong (20-7-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) takes on [autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag] (20-4-2 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC) in the Dec. 9 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card was originally scheduled to take place in Yadong’s home country of China before it was shifted to Vegas.

Yadong says he was initially offered former UFC bantamweight champion Yan for Dec. 9, but never received a contract after hearing Yan was injured. But if he can get past Gutierrez, Yadong would like it if the UFC revisited that matchup.

“Yes, after this fight, I still want to fight Petr,” Song said in an interview with Fanatics View. “I want to know whose boxing is better, in bantamweight. I want to fight him.”

Winner of four of his past five, Yadong admits that a win over lower-ranked Gutierrez likely doesn’t do much for him in his ascent up the bantamweight rankings.

“I think I just need two more (fights),” Yadong said. “Next fight, Petr, and one more, then I will get the title shot.”

The 25-year-old Team Alpha Male fighter expects his well-rounded skillset to be too much for Gutierrez.

“He never encountered the kind of style I have,” Yadong said. “I’m faster, hit hard and I have great grappling skills, but I also have leg kicks. It’s going to be an exciting fight.”

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

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Nov. 6-12)

All the UFC and Bellator 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 or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Nov. 6-12.

Song Yadong vs. Chris Gutierrez to headline UFC Fight Night in Shanghai

Song Yadong set to headline the UFC’s return to China against fellow bantamweight contender Chris Gutierrez.

The UFC is returning to China for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The promotion has booked a Fight Night event in Shanghai for Dec. 9. The event will be headlined by a key bantamweight bout pitting China’s [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] against [autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag].

The news was first reported by “MagicM_MMABets” on X and later confirmed by MMA Junkie.

Yadong (20-7-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) was scheduled to fight Rob Font in August at UFC 292, but withdrew from the matchup due to undisclosed reasons. The 25-year-old most recently competed in a five-round bout on April 29 at UFC Fight Night 223 when he finished Ricky Simon with punches early in Round 5. Yadong has won four of his most recent five bouts, with the only loss a TKO due to a laceration against Cory Sandhagen.

On the other hand, Gutierrez (20-4-2 MMA, 8-2-1 UFC) fought last month at UFC Fight Night 230 in Las Vegas where he defeated Mongolia’s Alateng Heili in a unanimous decision. The victory put Gutierrez back in the win column, as he previously lost a unanimous to long-time contender Pedro Munhoz in April.

With the addition, the current UFC Fight Night line up on Dec. 9 includes:

  • Song Yadong vs. Chris Gutierrez
  • Andre Muniz vs. Jun Yong Park
  • Nasrat Haqparast vs. Jamie Mullarkey
  • Tatsuro Taira vs. Carlos Hernandez
  • Brendson Ribeiro vs. Mingyang Zhang
  • Allan Nascimento vs. Su Mudaerji
  • Hyun Sung Park vs. Shannon Ross
  • Chang Ho Lee vs. Long Xiao
  • Jiniushiyue vs. Rei Tsuruya
  • Kaiwen Li vs. Yizha
  • Shin Haraguchi vs. Rong Zhu

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Rob Font steps into UFC Nashville main event vs. Cory Sandhagen after Umar Nurmagomedov’s withdrawal

With their original opponents out, UFC bantamweights Rob Font and Cory Sandhagen will throw down in Nashville.

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] and [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] each needed new opponents, and they’ve found one in each other.

In addition to Sandhagen’s original opponent [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] withdrawing from the Aug. 5 main event in Nashville, Font’s original UFC 292 opponent, [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag], is out of their matchup Aug. 19 in Boston for undisclosed reasons.

With UFC on ESPN 50, the Aug. 5 card in Nashville, needing a new headliner, Font has stepped up and will fight Sandhagen weeks earlier than he initially expected to compete. The bout will be contested at a contracted weight of 140 pounds.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. ESPN first reported the news Thursday.

Font (20-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) looks to turn a solo win into a two-fight streak. At UFC 287, Font knocked out Adrian Yanez. The win snapped a two-fight skid that included decision losses to Marlon Vera and Jose Aldo.

Sandhagen (16-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) has won back-to-back fights following two consecutive failed title bids. Since championship losses to T.J. Dillashaw and Petr Yan, Sandhagen has defeated Yadong and Marlon Vera.

With the change, the UFC on ESPN 50 lineup includes:

  • Cory Sandhagen vs. Rob Font
  • Jessica Andrade vs. Tatiana Suarez
  • Said Nurmagomedov vs. Kyler Phillips
  • Ion Cutelaba vs. Ovince Saint Preux
  • Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Ludovit Klein
  • Damon Jackson vs. Billy Quarantillo
  • Dustin Jacoby vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
  • Asu Almabaev vs. Ode Osbourne
  • Cody Durden vs. Jake Hadley
  • Jesse Butler vs. Sean Woodson
  • Diego Lopes vs. Gavin Tucker
  • Tanner Boser vs. Aleksa Camur
  • Carlston Harris vs. Jeremiah Wells

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.

Song Yadong: Rob Font’s boxing is ‘so good,’ but it won’t be a problem at UFC 292

“I think I’m better everywhere,” Song Yadong said of his matchup with Rob Font at UFC 292.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] doesn’t expect to face issues with [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]’s boxing.

Yadong (20-7-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) will head into enemy territory when he takes on Massachusetts native Font (20-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) at UFC 292 on Aug. 19 from TD Garden in Boston.

Font is known to have some of the best boxing in the bantamweight division, which he’s used to take out the likes of Adrian Yanez and former title challenger Marlon Moraes in the first round. Yadong also has shown off his hands during his octagon tenure, most recently finishing Ricky Simon by fifth-round TKO in the UFC Fight Night 223 headliner in April.

“I never fought a guy like him,” Yadong told MMA Junkie Radio at UFC X during International Fight Week. “He’s good at boxing; his boxing is so good. He’s good at jabs, everybody knows his jabs are good, but I don’t think this is a problem for me. I have a lot of weapons against him.”

Yadong foresees a striking battle with Font, but if they do ending up grappling, the Team Alpha Male fighter thinks he’ll have the advantage there, too.

“Mostly striking first,” Yadong said. “If he wants grappling, I’m OK with that. I think I’m better everywhere.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.

Rob Font hopes to emerge as top contender with impressive finish of Song Yadong at UFC 292

Rob Font doesn’t love that he’s fighting backward in the rankings, but he’s looking to continue riding his momentum at UFC 292.

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] is looking to continue riding his momentum at UFC 292.

Font (20-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) snapped a two-fight skid with a first-round Performance of the Night TKO of rising star Adrian Yanez in April at UFC 287.

Font draws [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (20-7-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) on Aug. 19 at TD Garden in Boston. Font, a Massachusetts native, would have liked to fight a higher-ranked opponent and knows he’ll likely have to finish Yadong if he wants to climb up the bantamweight ladder.

“Obviously a win is huge, but I’ve got to get back to that finish to kind of have people wanting to see me more than anybody else,” Font told MMA Junkie Radio. “I think if I can go out there and get an impressive knockout, an impressive finish or even just an impressive fight, I think – I’ll be consistent with two finishes – I’ll be in that conversation. It just sucks that I am fighting backwards. This gets me close, but it’s not the one.”

Font was the betting underdog heading into his fight with Yanez, who was yet to lose in the octagon. The 36-year-old was happy to silence the doubters with his quick finish.

“They were building him up, and everyone was talking about him,” Font said. “He even was talking about fighting Sean O’Malley at the press conference or the media day instead of just obviously talking about our fight. It did feel a little disrespectful, but it comes with the territory.

“You lose two in a row, you sit out for a year, people forget. Then I just had to go out there and remind them. It felt like me and my team had a secret no one knew about. I was the betting underdog, and everybody was doubting me, and I just had to go out there and not just win but make a statement.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (June 19-25)

All the UFC and Bellator 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 or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by a promotion from June 19-25.

UFC 292 adds Rob Font vs. Song Yadong to Boston lineup

Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley won’t be the only top bantamweights competing at UFC 292, as Rob Font vs. Song Yadong is set.

[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] and [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] won’t be the only top bantamweights competing at UFC 292.

Before the 135-pound title fight takes place, contenders [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] and [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] will square off in a three-round bout Aug. 19 at TD Garden in Boston.

Two people with knowledge of the booking recently informed MMA Junkie of the matchup but asked to remain anonymous. Contracts have not yet been signed but are expected to be in the coming days.

The promotion also officially announced the bout Wednesday evening. Eurosport NL was first to reported the targeted bout.

One of the faces of the New England Cartel, Massachusetts’ Font (20-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) will have a homecoming of sorts as he competes at TD Garden for the third time. Following back-to-back losses to Jose Aldo and Marlon Vera, Font bounced back with a brutal TKO victory over Adrian Yanez at UFC 287 in April.

Yadong (20-7-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) most recently competed in a five-round bout April 29 at UFC Fight Night 223 when he finished Ricky Simon with punches early in Round 5. Yadong has won four of his most recent five bouts, with the only loss a TKO due to a laceration against Cory Sandhagen.

With the addition, the UFC 292 lineup includes:

  • Champion Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley – for bantamweight title
  • Champion Zhang Weili vs. Amanda Lemos – for women’s strawweight title
  • Henry Cejudo vs. Marlon Vera
  • Rob Font vs. Song Yadong
  • Ian Garry vs. Geoff Neal
  • Brad Tavares vs. Chris Weidman
  • Mario Bautista vs. Cody Garbrandt
  • Gerald Meerschaert vs. Andre Petroski
  • Maryna Moroz vs. Karine Silva
  • Andrea Lee vs. Natalia Silva
  • Gregory Rodrigues vs. Denis Tiuliulin

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.

Video: What is Song Yadong’s ceiling coming out of UFC Fight Night 223 win?

Just how far can Song Yadong go in the stacked UFC bantamweight division?

At UFC Fight Night 223 in Las Vegas, [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] defeated Ricky Simon by stopping him in the fifth round of a pivotal bantamweight main event that will definitely push the Chinese fighter closer to a title shot.

The fifth-round stoppage means four of the past five fights have been wins for Yadong, who was coming off a loss to Cory Sandhagen.

What’s your take on the fight, the finish and Yadong’s position moving forward in the stacked UFC bantamweight division?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Danny Segura, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Dan Tom weighed in with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode below.

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch this week’s episode in the video above.