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Tag: Song Yadong

  • ‘Team Alpha Male Style’ – Song Yadong Submits Deiveson Figueiredo

    ‘Team Alpha Male Style’ – Song Yadong Submits Deiveson Figueiredo

    Deiveson Figueiredo was believed to have the grappling edge in the UFC Macau main event. Song Yadong, however, was the one who jumped the gilly and scored the submission victory.

    A quiet first round saw Figueiredo throw just six strikes in the entire round, while Yadong worked leg kicks while stuffing takedown attempts from Figueiredo — though slipping at the end of the round.

    Yadong continued to defend the takedown attempts in the second round, and he picked up on his striking, landing a couple of strong leg kicks and working a key combination.

    But as Figueiredo went in for another takedown attempt, Yadong was ready and locked in a quick guillotine choke, scoring a submission victory in round two.

    Song Yadong Submits Deiveson Figueiredo At UFC Macau

    Yadong has now won four of his last six bouts and is likely to score a big contender’s battle in his next fight. He entered this fight off a loss to Sean O’Malley at UFC 324.

    Figueiredo has now lost four of his last five. He entered this bout off a loss to Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 324.

  • UFC Macau Results: Yadong vs. Figueiredo Live Updates & Highlights

    UFC Macau Results: Yadong vs. Figueiredo Live Updates & Highlights

    MMA News updates UFC Macau results and highlights live as the action unfolds from the Galaxy Arena in Macau, China. The main event will feature a bantamweight bout between Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo. MMANews has you covered with all the results and highlights!

    Song Yadong vs. Deiveson Figueiredo – Bantamweight Main Event

    Yadong enters this fight with three wins in his last five fights and a 7-3 record in his last 10. Yadong has lost two of his three most recent fights, but those losses came against current champion Petr Yan and former champion Sean O’Malley — the latter happening at UFC 324 in January.

    After a three-fight win streak to start his time at bantamweight, Figueiredo enters this fight with three losses in his last four. Figueiredo also fought at UFC 324, missing weight and dropping a decision to Umar Nurmagomedov.

    The UFC Macau co-main event will feature Zhang Mingyang against Alonzo Menifield in a light heavyweight matchup.

    Mingyang has been making noise in the light heavyweight division since his UFC debut in early 2024. He, however, saw his 12-fight win streak snapped in his last bout, getting stopped by Johnny Walker in the main event of UFC Shanghai in August.

    After going unbeaten in 2022 and 2023, Menifield is 2-3 since, which includes knockout losses to Azamat Murzakanov and current champion Carlos Ulberg. Menifield comes into this bout off a loss to Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Qatar in November.

    If you can’t watch the action, check here for all the latest results and highlights from UFC Macau!

    How to Watch UFC Macau

    • Date: Saturday, May 30, 2026
    • Venue: Galaxy Arena, Macau, China
    • Streaming: Paramount+ (exclusive)
    • Prelims: 4 AM ET / 1 AM PT
    • Main Card: 7 AM ET / 4 AM PT

    UFC Macau Quick Results

    • Main Event: Song Yadong vs. Deiveson Figueiredo — Song Yadong def. Deiveson Figueiredo via submission (guillotine choke) (Rd. 2, 4:42)
    • Co-Main Event: Zhang Mingyang vs. Alonzo Menifield — Alonzo Menifield def. Zhang Mingyang via TKO (Rd. 1, 4:15)
    • Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tallison Teixeira — Sergei Pavlovich def. Tallison Teixeira via KO (Rd. 1, 0:39)
    • Kai Asakura vs. Cameron Smotherman — Kai Asakura def. Cameron Smotherman via KO (Rd. 1, 1:50)
    • Jake Matthews vs. Carlston Harris — Jake Matthews def. Carlston Harris via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-27 x2)
    • Alex Perez vs. Su Mudaerji — Alex Perez vs. Su Mudaerji ends in a no contest (accidental foul) (Rd. 2, 1:45)

    UFC Macau Results & Highlights

    Preliminary Card (Paramount+, 4 AM ET)

    Women’s Strawweight: Loma Lookboonmee vs. Jaqueline Amorim

    Result: Jaqueline Amorim def. Loma Lookboonmee via submission (armbar) (Rd. 1, 4:04)

    Featherweight: Rodrigo Vera vs. Kangjie Zhu

    Result: Rodrigo Vera def. Kangjie Zhu via KO (Rd. 1, 1:50)

    Women’s Strawweight: Angela Hill vs. Jingnan Xiong

    Result: Angela Hill def. Jingnan Xiong via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

    Flyweight: Rei Tsuruya vs. Luis Gurule

    Result: Rei Tsuruya def. Luis Gurule via submission (rear-naked choke) (Rd. 1, 3:19)

    Bantamweight: Aoriqileng vs. Cody Haddon

    Result: Cody Haddon def. Aoriqileng via TKO (Rd. 2, 2:11)

    Welterweight: Meng Ding vs. Jose Henrique

    Result: Jose Henrique def. Meng Ding via split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

    Middleweight: Luis Felipe Dias vs. Yi Sak Lee

    Result: Luis Felipe Dias def. Yi Sak Lee via TKO (Rd. 1, 3:40)

    Main Card (Paramount+, 7 AM ET)

    Flyweight: Alex Perez vs. Su Mudaerji

    Result: Alex Perez vs. Su Mudaerji ends in a no contest (accidental foul) (Rd. 2, 1:45)

    Welterweight: Jake Matthews vs. Carlston Harris

    Result: Jake Matthews def. Carlston Harris via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-27 x2)

    Bantamweight: Kai Asakura vs. Cameron Smotherman

    Result: Kai Asakura def. Cameron Smotherman via KO (Rd. 1, 1:50)

    Heavyweight: Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tallison Teixeira

    Result: Sergei Pavlovich def. Tallison Teixeira via KO (Rd. 1, 0:39)

    Light Heavyweight: Zhang Mingyang vs. Alonzo Menifield

    Result: Alonzo Menifield def. Zhang Mingyang via TKO (Rd. 1, 4:15)

    Bantamweight: Song Yadong vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

    Result: Song Yadong def. Deiveson Figueiredo via submission (guillotine choke) (Rd. 2, 4:42)

  • “Just Give O’Malley A 30-24 At This Point” – Fans & Fighters Debate Sean O’Malley’s Chances At Gold After Decision Win Over Song Yadong At UFC 324

    “Just Give O’Malley A 30-24 At This Point” – Fans & Fighters Debate Sean O’Malley’s Chances At Gold After Decision Win Over Song Yadong At UFC 324

    It wasn’t the strongest performance, but it was a win when it mattered for Sean O’Malley, as he defeats Song Yadong in the co-main event of UFC 324.

    O’Malley seemed to have the advantage in the striking department during a quiet first round. Yadong, however, took control with a late takedown in spite of a guillotine attempt from O’Malley.

    Yadong’s grappling pressure was on display in the second round again, landing another pair of takedowns and controlling the action by focusing on O’Malley’s leg, compromising it.

    O’Malley turned up the heat in the third round, getting his striking going and scoring a decision win.

    Sean O’Malley Gets Needed Rebound With Decision Win Over Song Yadong At UFC 324

    https://twitter.com/JourdainAir/status/2015278769481584676?s=20

    This was O’Malley’s first fight after losing back-to-back bantamweight title fights to Merab Dvalishvili at Noche UFC 2: UFC 306 and UFC 316. O’Malley held the UFC bantamweight title from his win at UFC 292 until his first loss to Dvalishvili.

    Yadong is now 3-2 in his last five, entering tonight’s bout off a win over Henry Cejudo at UFC Seattle last year.

  • Sean O’Malley Apologizes for COVID Mask Stunt at UFC 324

    Sean O’Malley Apologizes for COVID Mask Stunt at UFC 324

    Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley addressed the controversy surrounding his COVID-style face mask during an initial staredown with upcoming opponent Song Yadong, while the Chinese fighter remained focused on the fight itself ahead of their co-main event clash at UFC 324 on Saturday, January 24, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

    The incident occurred at the UFC seasonal press conference in December 2025, when O’Malley wore a surgical face mask during the first face-off with Song. The gesture sparked immediate backlash, with many interpreting it as a reference to COVID-19’s origins in China.

    Sean O’Malley Clarifies COVID Mask Incident With Song Yadong Ahead of UFC 324 Showdown

    At Wednesday’s UFC 324 media day, O’Malley issued an apology for the incident. “My intentions were never harmful,” O’Malley stated.

    “It was supposed to be a little silly joke, you know, it was that, and it got taken out of [context]. I apologize if I offended anybody. It was never meant to be disrespectful, just me trying to have a little fun, and it turned into something else”.

    Song responded to the apology during his own media session, acknowledging O’Malley’s penchant for promotional tactics while dismissing any impact on his preparation. “Sean is very good at promotion. He likes to play little mind games, do things at the face-off, talk a lot online,” Song explained.

    “I don’t really care about that. I’m not here to play games with him, I’m here to fight. When the cage door closes, it’s just me and him, and all that talk and all that show doesn’t help him. I won’t let anything he does take me out of my focus”.

    The 28-year-old Chinese fighter elaborated on his perspective regarding the stunt. “I’m fine, but I believe we shouldn’t introduce racism into this sport,” Song remarked at media day. “Let’s keep it about the competition. He already expressed regret. In an interview from China, he apologized to fans. He’s trying to play mind games with me, but I’m not concerned about that. My focus is solely on the fight. I just want to win. I’m concentrated”.

    O’Malley enters UFC 324 on a two-fight losing streak, having lost the bantamweight title to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 in September 2024 and falling short in their rematch at UFC 316 in June 2025. The former champion holds an 18-3 MMA record and 10-3 UFC mark, with his last victory coming against Marlon Vera at UFC 299.

    Song, ranked fifth in the bantamweight division, carries a record of 22-8-1 overall and 11-3-1 in the UFC. The Team Alpha Male fighter most recently defeated former two-division champion Henry Cejudo via technical decision in February 2025, earning the victory when the bout was stopped due to an accidental eye poke while Song was ahead on the scorecards.

    Both fighters view the bout as critical for their championship aspirations. O’Malley believes a victory positions him for a rematch with current bantamweight champion Petr Yan, whom he controversially defeated at UFC 280 in October 2022. Yan reclaimed the title by defeating Dvalishvili at UFC 323 in December 2025, ending “The Machine’s” reign after three successful title defenses.​

    “It’s got to be me versus Petr next, if I go out there and take care of business,” O’Malley declared at media day. “I think I go out there and put on a beautiful performance, [then] me versus Petr at the White House is huge”.

    Song similarly sees the fight as his pathway to title contention. “This fight is crucial for me because a win over Sean would be a major accomplishment,” Song acknowledged. “I’m just one step away from a title shot”.​

  • Henry Cejudo Hits Back At UFC Seattle Critics With List Of Apparent Eye Injuries

    Henry Cejudo Hits Back At UFC Seattle Critics With List Of Apparent Eye Injuries

    Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo has pushed back on claims he was looking for a way out of Saturday’s main event against Song Yadong.

    Cejudo’s wait for a first victory since returning from retirement in 2023 goes on after this weekend’s UFC Fight Night in Seattle, Washington, which he headlined in defense of his #7 spot in the bantamweight rankings.

    After defeats to Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili, “Triple C” fell to a third straight loss inside Climate Pledge Arena — but not in a common way.

    Cejudo was handed a technical decision setback after being unable to continue due to a deep eye poke late in the third frame. With referee Jason Herzog deeming the foul unintentional — and with over half the scheduled rounds complete — the bout went to the scorecards, all of which were in favor of “The Kung Fu Kid.”

    As is often the case when an athlete doesn’t continue following a foul, Cejudo has faced flak from some corners of the MMA community who have accused him of quitting.

    The 2008 Olympic gold medalist has not taken kindly to such claims, taking to X to hit back at the allegation by listing the injuries he apparently sustained from Song’s poke.

    “Diplopia, Soft Tissue Damage, Corneal Abrasion,” he wrote.”‘hE wANteD a wAy OuT’ #UFCSeattle“

    It remains to be seen what will come next for Cejudo in the UFC. While the two fighters expressed mutual interest in running things back, UFC CEO Dana White was quick to shut that suggestion down during his post-fight press conference.

  • Song Yadong Remorseful About UFC Seattle Fight-Ending Eye Poke: ‘That Was Totally An Accident’

    Song Yadong Remorseful About UFC Seattle Fight-Ending Eye Poke: ‘That Was Totally An Accident’

    Song Yadong’s demeanor following his victory at UFC Seattle was notably subdued. Despite defeating Henry Cejudo by technical decision, the Chinese bantamweight appeared far from celebratory during the post-fight press conference.

    The fight was stopped after an accidental eye poke on Cejudo midway through the third round. While “Triple C” took the full five-minute recovery period and opted to continue, he later expressed significant discomfort to his corner between rounds.

    Had Cejudo been unable to complete the remaining minute of the round, the fight would have ended before three full rounds were completed, resulting in a no contest. Song’s reaction suggested he was unsatisfied with the nature of his victory.

    “That was totally an accident,” Song said, following the event. “I’m not so happy with that. It is what it is. I feel bad. I feel bad for Henry. I saw that (it would’ve been) a no contest (if he had stopped when the foul occurred). That’s why I feel so bad.”

    Immediately after the fight, “The Kung Fu Kid” called for a rematch in his in-cage interview. Song is now turning his attention to other potential opponents.

    “My goal is the world champion, so whatever UFC gives me, I want to fight the guys who are ranked above me,” Song said. “If not Henry, give me (Sean) O’Malley. I can fight any time.”

    With Song eager to move forward in the bantamweight division, it remains to be seen whether he will get his wish for a high-profile opponent next.

  • ‘Embarrassment Of A Main Event’ – Fans Left Unsatisfied After Bizarre End To Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong At UFC Seattle

    ‘Embarrassment Of A Main Event’ – Fans Left Unsatisfied After Bizarre End To Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong At UFC Seattle

    After a thrilling card that featured plenty of finishes and standout performances, UFC Seattle’s main event between Henry Cejudo and Song Yadong left the west coast crowd with a lot to be desired.

    Song came out on top in his main event bout against former two-division champion Henry Cejudo via decision, but the fight’s conclusion came under dubious circumstances.

    The first round proved to be close, but quiet. “Triple C” tried to use his boxing, mixing in leg kicks, to start dictating how the fight would go. Song, however, seemed to land the stronger strikes and combinations in answering back. This pace continued into the second round, but the American would have the notable strongest strikes of the round, busting up “The Kung Fu Kid’s” nose late in the frame.

    But everything came to a sudden and spiraling halt in the third round, when Cejudo was poked in the eye accidentally on two occasions. The 2008 Olympic gold medalist took the full five minutes, saying he was still fine to fight. But upon going back to his corner at the end of the third, Cejudo complained that he was unable to see.

    The fight was halted, and referee Jason Herzog ruled that with three out of the possible five rounds completed, the fight would go to the judges’ scorecards for a technical decision. He even claimed to Song’s team that such a ruling would save him from what would have been a disqualification loss.

    The Chinese contender won on all three judges’ cards, with two 29-28s and a 30-27.

    Song Yadong Gets Technical Decision Win Over Henry Cejudo In Lackluster UFC Seattle Main Event

    https://twitter.com/WhyGarth/status/1893521864040804364
    https://twitter.com/JDKalajaAuthor/status/1893523294856319422
    https://twitter.com/blondedmma/status/1893523981510025222

    Song has now won three of four and six of his last eight. He rebounds from a loss to Petr Yan at UFC 299 last year.

    Cejudo, meanwhile, has now lost all three fights since coming out of retirement, dropping a split decision to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 for the bantamweight title and a unanimous decision to current champ Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298.

  • UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Song Yadong Decisions Henry Cejudo

    UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Song Yadong Decisions Henry Cejudo

    UFC Fight Night took place tonight from the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights! 

    In the main event, bantamweights Henry Cejudo and Song Yadong clashed. While in the co-main event, Brendan Allen faced Anthony Hernandez in a middleweight matchup. 

    UFC Fight Night Results: Main Card

    • Bantamweight: Song Yadong def. Henry Cejudo via technical decision (29-28×2, 30-27)
    • Middleweight: Anthony Hernandez def. Brendan Allen via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
    • Catchweight (140lbs): Rob Font def. Jean Matsumoto via split decision (29-28×2, 28-29)
    • Featherweight: Jean Silva def. Melsik Baghdasaryan via TKO: R1, 4.15  
    • Light Heavyweight: Alonzo Menifield def. Julius Walker via split decision (29-28, 30-27, 28-29)

    Preliminary Card

    • Light Heavyweight: Ion Cuțelaba def. Ibo Aslan via submission: R1, 2.51
    • Featherweight: Melquizael Costa def. Andre Fili via submission: R1, 4.30  
    • Middleweight: Mansur Abdul-Malik def. Nick Klein via TKO: R2, 3.24
    • Bantamweight: Ricky Simón def. Javid Basharat via KO: R1, 3.58
    • Catchweight (175lbs): Austin Vanderford def. Nikolay Veretennikov via TKO: R2, 4.13
    • Middleweight: Nursulton Ruziboev def. Eric McConico via TKO: R2, 0.33
    • Light Heavyweight: Modestas Bukauskas def. Raffael Cerqueira via KO: R1, 2.12

    Preliminary Card Highlights

    Modestas Bukauskas def. Raffael Cerqueira

    Modestas Bukauskas earned a first-round KO of Raffael Cerqueira in their light heavyweight bout.

    Nursulton Ruziboev def. Eric McConico

    Nursulton Ruziboev earned a TKO in the second round against Eric McConico.

    Austin Vanderford def. Nikolay Veretennikov

    Austin Vanderford stopped Nikolay Veretennikov in the second round of this 175-pound catchweight bout.

    Ricky Simón def. Javid Basharat

    Ricky Simón knocked out Javid Basharat in the first round of their bantamweight bout.

    Mansur Abdul-Malik def. Nick Klein

    Mansur Abdul-Malik got it done in the second round against Nick Klein.

    Melquizael Costa def. Andre Fili

    Melquizael Costa submitted Andre Fili in the first round of their featherweight matchup.

    Ion Cuțelaba def. Ibo Aslan

    Ion Cuțelaba tapped out Ibo Aslan in the first round.

    Main Card Highlights

    Alonzo Menifield def. Julius Walker

    Alonzo Menifield got it done with a split decision against Julius Walker.

    Jean Silva def. Melsik Baghdasaryan

    In this featherweight bout, Jean Silva earned a TKO of Melsik Baghdasaryan in the first round.

    Rob Font def. Jean Matsumoto

    Rob Font earned a split decision against Jean Matsumoto.

    Anthony Hernandez def. Brendan Allen

    In the co-main event, Anthony Hernandez got it done on the scorecards against Brendan Allen.

    Song Yadong def. Henry Cejudo

    In the main event, Song Yadong got the win via technical decision after an eye poke to Henry Cejudo forced him out of the fight.

  • UFC Fight Night: Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results.

    After events in Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Las Vegas, the mixed martial arts leader is on the road to close out its February schedule with a card inside Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena.

    Headlining will be former two-division champion Henry Cejudo. After consecutive losses to Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili since returning from retirement, “Triple C” will look to notch the first win of his comeback at the expense of fellow top 10 bantamweight Song Yadong.

    Elsewhere, the likes of Anthony Hernandez, Jean Silva, Rob Font, Alonzo Menifield and Austin Vanderford will all be in action.

    UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song takes place on Saturday, February 22, at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. The main card begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

    See above for a replay of the weigh-ins via MMA Junkie, and check out the results below.

    Main Card:

    • Flyweight: Henry Cejudo (135lbs) vs. Song Yadong (136lbs)
    • Middleweight: Brendan Allen (186lbs) vs. Anthony Hernandez (186lbs)
    • Catchweight (140lbs): Rob Font (138lbs) vs. Jean Matsumoto (139lbs)
    • Featherweight: Jean Silva (145.5lbs) vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan (145lbs)
    • Light Heavyweight: Alonzo Menifield (205lbs) vs. Julius Walker (205lbs)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Light Heavyweight: Ion Cuțelaba (205lbs) vs. Ibo Aslan (205lbs)
    • Featherweight: Andre Fili (145lbs) vs. Melquizael Costa (145lbs)
    • Middleweight: Mansur Abdul-Malik (186lbs) vs. Nick Klein (186lbs)
    • Bantamweight: Ricky Simón (135lbs) vs. Javid Basharat (136lbs)
    • Catchweight (175lbs): Nikolay Veretennikov (175lbs) vs. Austin Vanderford (174lbs)
    • Middleweight: Nursulton Ruziboev (184lbs) vs. Eric McConico (184lbs)
    • Light Heavyweight: Modestas Bukauskas (203lbs) vs. Raffael Cerqueira (204lbs)
  • Song Yadong Vows To End Henry Cejudo’s Career At UFC Seattle

    Song Yadong Vows To End Henry Cejudo’s Career At UFC Seattle

    Song Yadong respects Henry Cejudo, but he intends to be the fighter who ends the former two-division UFC champion’s career this weekend.

    Song will face the Olympic gold medalist in the main event of UFC Fight Night Seattle this Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena.

    Since returning from a brief retirement in 2023, Cejudo has suffered back-to-back decision losses — first in a close fight against then-champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 and more recently in a dominant defeat to current champion Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298 in February 2024.

    Song, meanwhile, is looking to bounce back after a close decision loss to former champion Petr Yan at UFC 299 last March, which halted his two-fight win streak. At just 27 years old, the Chinese standout acknowledges the challenge ahead and his opponent’s impressive credentials.

    Seeing Cejudo’s position at this stage of his career, Song believes that a victory on Saturday will send the veteran into retirement.

    “Yeah, I think if he lost this one, this is his last fight, the last round,” Song told MMA Fighting. “But I will win the fight. I believe this is his last one, [his] last fight. This will be the last fight in Seattle. Time is over, it’s time to retire.”

    Though he understands the significance of potentially retiring Cejudo, the young contender is also excited about the moment. He’s thrilled to be headlining his first event in front of a large Seattle crowd and finally securing the fight he’s been pursuing for nearly a year.

    “That’s what I [wanted],” Song said. “Last year, in May, I called him out. UFC wanted me to fight him in September, but he got injured and we finally got this one. Yeah, he’s a very good fighter—two-division UFC champion, Olympic champion, a lot of achievements. It’s an honor to fight him.”

    For Song, this fight is a massive opportunity. He believes a victory over a legend like Cejudo will push him into bigger matchups and move him closer to his ultimate goal of becoming a UFC champion.

    “So if I win this fight, I have another chance to challenge the top 5,” Song explained. “If I win this one, give me top 5 fighters, for sure, [then] one more, two more, I will get a title shot.”

    With the stakes high for both fighters, UFC Seattle promises to be a pivotal night in the bantamweight division.

  • UFC Seattle Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Cejudo vs. Song, Allen vs. Hernandez, & More

    UFC Seattle Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Cejudo vs. Song, Allen vs. Hernandez, & More

    UFC Seattle is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for this weekend’s lineup.

    The upcoming event takes place Saturday, February 22, at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. The main card begins at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6 PM ET/3 PM PT.

    Topping the lineup will be former two-division champion Henry Cejudo. After consecutive losses to Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili since returning from retirement, “Triple C” will look to notch the first win of his comeback at the expense of fellow top 10 bantamweight Song Yadong.

    Before they go to battle, the co-main event will see ranked middleweight contenders Brendan Allen and Anthony Hernandez collide. While the former will look to bounce back from defeat to Nassourdine Imavov last time out, “Fluffy” is pursuing a sixth straight win.

    And also making the walk on Saturday will be the likes of Rob Font, Jean Silva, Alonzo Menifield, Andre Fili and Ricky Simón.

    UFC Seattle: Cejudo vs. Song Betting Odds

    Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC Seattle (as of 2/17), courtesy of DraftKings.

    Main Card:

    • Henry Cejudo (+230) vs. Song Yadong (-285)
    • Brendan Allen (+240) vs. Anthony Hernandez (-298)
    • Jean Silva (-575) vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan (+425)
    • Rob Font vs. Jean Matsumoto
    • Alonzo Menifield (-205) vs. Julius Walker (+170)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Andre Fili (-120) vs. Melquizael Costa (+100)
    • Ion Cuțelaba (+130) vs. Ibo Aslan (-155)
    • Nursulton Ruziboev (-305) vs. Eric McConico (+245)
    • Ricky Simón (+240) vs. Javid Basharat (-298)
    • Mansur Abdul-Malik (-850) vs. Nick Klein (+520)
    • Modestas Bukauskas (-325) vs. Raffael Cerqueira (+260)
  • Henry Cejudo Promises ‘Live Assassination’ Of Song Yadong At UFC Seattle

    Henry Cejudo Promises ‘Live Assassination’ Of Song Yadong At UFC Seattle

    Henry Cejudo is set to return for his third outing inside the Octagon since he came out of retirement to fight Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight title in 2023. The former two-weight titleholder has been unable to reclaim the top spot since he left the sport on top back in 2020 after winning six fights in a row.

    Having bean beaten by teammates in Sterling and the current champion Merab Dvalishvili, Cejudo is now set to look a few positions further down the 135-pound rankings after failing to immediately re-establish himself as a top contender. In the main event on February 22, he will face the #8-ranked Song Yadong at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.

    Yadong is also looking to bounce back from a defeat last time out but “Triple C” is incredibly confident that he will show levels in this fight. He spoke in a recent interview with Cageside Press about how he sees the matchup playing out in this pivotal moment for his career at the highest level.

    “You guys can witness a damn assassination man. You guys are going to witness a live assassination. Song Yadong you ain’t that long,” Cejudo told Cageside Press.

    Cejudo also continued to make references to his opponent’s name in what appears to be the return of his trash talking persona which we have had a significant break from in recent times. Despite this, “King Triple C” knows what is at stake for him in this fight.

    He did not return just to take part in the division but a third consecutive loss would be a big uphill battle for him at this stage in his career.

    “Song doesn’t have that long dong that you guys think he does and that he’s gonna bend the knee and everybody watching should also bend a knee to KING TRIPLE C.”

  • Former Champ-Champ Henry Cejudo Opens As Betting Underdog For UFC Seattle Main Event vs. Song Yadong

    Former Champ-Champ Henry Cejudo Opens As Betting Underdog For UFC Seattle Main Event vs. Song Yadong

    February 22 is a huge date for the former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion, Henry Cejudo. “Triple C” made his return to the Octagon in May of 2023 after announcing that he had retired three years prior at UFC 249.

    Having gone out on top as a champ-champ, the 37-year old has come up short in back-to-back fights since stepping back inside the Octagon at UFC 288. A split decision loss over five rounds to Aljamain Sterling and a further defeat to his teammate and the current bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili have doubled his career losses from two to four.

    With his next fight recently being made official for Seattle at the Climate Pledge Arena next month, the oddsmakers don’t have Cejudo turning things around at this stage in his career. BetOnline.ag have him as a +160 underdog in his matchup with the #8-ranked Song Yadong.

    The 27-year old Team Alpha Male fighter is coming off of a loss to Petr Yan at UFC 299 last March having beaten Ricky Simón and Chris Gutierrez in consecutive main events before that. Despite also holding victories over the likes of Marlon Vera and Marlon Moraes, beating Cejudo will certainly be the biggest win of his career in terms of name value and he’s currently at -185.

    Of course, these betting lines will shift back and forth before the two men step back inside the Octagon but when you look at what Cejudo has been able to achieve in MMA and the level of opponents that he is used to facing, a loss here may be his biggest setback to date considering that his other defeats came in a close fight with Joseph Benavidez and his first encounter with flyweight great Demetrious Johnson.

  • Henry Cejudo Sends 4-Word Warning To Song Yadong After Confirmation Of UFC Seattle Headliner

    Henry Cejudo Sends 4-Word Warning To Song Yadong After Confirmation Of UFC Seattle Headliner

    Henry Cejudo is set to return to the Octagon on February 22 where he will once again look to earn his first win since deciding to comeback from his 2020 retirement. “Triple C” has suffered back-to-back losses in consecutive years to teammates Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili who are the former and current holders of the bantamweight title.

    Following multiple reports, it has since been confirmed by the UFC that Cejudo will headline the promotion’s long awaited return to Seattle when he faces off with Song Yadong over five rounds at the Climate Pledge Arena. The former two-weight champion is currently ranked one spot above China’s Yadong in the top-15 rankings at 135-pounds, occupying the #7-position.

    With Yadong coming off of a loss to Petr Yan at UFC 299 in March last year, this is a massive opportunity for him to regain some serious momentum by earning the biggest win of his career to date against one of the top names in the lower weight classes. Cejudo, on the other hand, seemingly has a lot at stake in this contest.

    For as much as his return has been stifled by back-to-back losses, losing to the titleholder at the time and the man that would go on to become the champion are two defeats that he can bounce back from. The 37-year old has been fighting either champions or the top contenders for a long time so suffering a third consecutive defeat to the #8-ranked guy would be a tough moment for him to bounce back from.

    Despite what this might could mean for his career, anyone expecting a more serious version of “Triple C” appears to be mistaken. His first message on social media after the fight was confirmed followed the same pattern that fight fans have to expect from Cejudo.

  • Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong Headlines UFC Seattle, Dominick Cruz Returns In Co-Main Event

    Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong Headlines UFC Seattle, Dominick Cruz Returns In Co-Main Event

    Next month’s UFC Fight Night in Seattle looks likely to be a key one in the context of the bantamweight division.

    The mixed martial arts leader will head to Washington to close out its February schedule from the Climate Pledge Arena, where multiple former champions and ranked contenders will be in action.

    Prior to this week, Edson Barboza vs. Steve Garcia, Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez, and Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev marked some of the bouts already announced. And now, the Seattle event on Feb. 22 has its main and co-main events set.

    UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell confirmed to ESPN Monday that former two-division champion Henry Cejudo (16-4) will return in the main event, sharing the cage with fellow top 10 bantamweight contender Song Yadong (21-8-1, 1 NC). The matchup was first reported earlier in the day by @realkevink on X.

    Campbell also revealed to Mike Coppinger that the co-headliner will see legendary 135lber Dominick Cruz (24-4) compete for the first time in over two years. The former UFC and WEC champion is slated to do battle with a fellow veteran in Rob Font (21-8), which could mark Cruz’s “last dance” if his most recent comments on a comeback prove true.

    With these additions, the current fights expected to take place at the UFC Fight Night in Seattle on Feb. 22 are as follows:

    • Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong (bantamweight main event)
    • Rob Font vs. Dominick Cruz (bantamweight co-main event)
    • Edson Barboza vs. Steve Garcia (featherweight)
    • Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez (middleweight)
    • Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev (heavyweight)
    • Jean Silva vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan (featherweight)
    • Ion Cutelaba vs. Ibo Aslan (light heavyweight)
    • Adam Fugitt vs. Islam Dulatov (welterweight)
    • Modestas Bukauskas vs. Raffael Cerqueira (light heavyweight)
    • Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Antonio Trócoli (middleweight)

  • Song Yadong, Khalil Rountree Among Four UFC Vegas 50 Bonus Winners

    UFC bantamweight prospect Song Yadong and light heavyweight Khalil Rountree earned $50k for their performances at UFC Vegas 50.

    Yadong seized his moment in the UFC Vegas 50 co-headliner against former title challenger Marlon Moraes, knocking him out with a vicious uppercut in the first round. He has now won three straight and appears to be on the verge of a top 10 spot.

    Check out Yadong’s violent knockout below.

    Yadong is a protege of MMA legend Urijah Faber down at Team Alpha Male.

    Yadong wasn’t the only one who shut the lights out on his opponent. Rountree overcame a slow start against Karl Roberson to blitz him with a barrage of strikes in Round 2.

    Rountree landed a stiff body kick along with a series of hooks that sent Roberson collapsing to the canvas.

    Rountree has now won back-to-back fights.

    In one of the most miraculous in-fight comebacks in recent memory, UFC middleweight Cody Brundage survived a near TKO finish from Dalcha Lungiambula to choke him out with a guillotine. He sunk in the choke by allowing Lungiambula into his guard off of a takedown attempt.

    The UFC Vegas 50 prelims began with a wild flying knee knockout by the undefeated Azamat Murzakanov against Tafon Nchukwi in his UFC debut.

    Murzakanov is a former Dana White’s Contender Series standout and could be a light heavyweight to watch in 2022.

    Yadong, Rountree, Brundage, and Murzakanov all cashed in a $50k post-fight bonus check and will look to continue their positive momentum later in 2022.

    Who do you want to see Song Yadong fight next?

  • Fighters React To Yadong’s KO Of Moraes At UFC Vegas 50

    Song Yadong showed why he’s a future bantamweight title contender in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 50.

    Yadong earned a spectacular first-round KO of former title challenger Marlon Moraes at the UFC Apex this evening, extending his win streak to three. For Moraes, the loss was his fifth in six fights, all of which have come via KO or TKO.

    Still only 24 years old, Yadong has fought in the UFC since 2017. His record in the promotion now stands at 8-1-1, while his overall record reads like that of a fighter far more advanced in years, at 19-5-1. With a victory over #10 ranked bantamweight Moraes, it’s likely we’ll see #14 ranked Yadong enter the top ten in the coming days.

    You can catch the highlights of the co-main event below.

    This was Yadong’s third win in a row.

    Now, let’s see how fighters reacted to the co-main event of UFC Vegas 50.

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  • Marlon Moraes Targeted To Return Against Song Yadong In March

    Former UFC bantamweight title challenger Marlon Moraes will look to get back in the win column against Song Yadong at a March 12 event.

    MMA Junkie was among the first to report news of the targeted matchup.

    Moraes most recently fell to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 266 via second-round TKO. After nearly finishing the fight in the first round, Moraes appeared gassed, and Dvalishvili took advantage of it with a barrage on the feet and ground.

    Moraes has had a tough recent run of fights inside the Octagon. After losing the title fight against Henry Cejudo at UFC 238, he squeaked out a split-decision win against José Aldo before losing three straight. Before the loss to Cejudo, Moraes had been considered one of the most dangerous bantamweight contenders in the world.

    Moraes has also suffered tough losses to top contenders such as Rob Font and Cory Sandhagen, both of whom are in the upper echelon of the division.

    With the bantamweight division being as stacked as it is in many eyes, Moraes desperately needs a win to remain in the conversation at 135 pounds.

    Marlon Moraes Faces A Tough Task In Song Yadong

    Another Turning Point For Song Yadong | UFC
    Song Yadong. Image Credit: UFC.com

    Moraes will face a rising prospect in Yadong, a 24-year-old juggernaut who has won back-to-back fights against Julio Arce and Casey Kenney. He is widely regarded as one of the top prospects to watch in 2022 and beyond.

    Yadong made his UFC debut in 2017 against Bharat Khandare, earning a first-round submission before winning four straight bouts. He’s earned wins over the likes of Vince Morales and Marlon Vera during his run in the promotion.

    Moraes and Yadong are both fiery strikers who could provide a potential Fight of the Year matchup in the first quarter of 2022. The winner could get back into title contention at bantamweight.

    What is your early prediction for Marlon Moraes vs. Song Yadong?