Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong; A Crucial Clash at UFC Fight Night in Seattle
Former UFC double champion Henry Cejudo returns to the Octagon to face rising bantamweight contender Song Yadong in the main event of UFC Fight Night at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Saturday. Cejudo, a former Olympic gold medalist and two-division UFC champion, is looking to rebound from a two-fight skid, having lost to former champion Aljamain Sterling and current champion Merab Dvalishvili. Song, meanwhile, is coming off a loss to Petr Yan and aims to prove he belongs among the elite in the bantamweight division.
Cejudo, 38, acknowledges the importance of this fight, stating that his performance will determine whether he remains a top contender. “It’s going to be a fight, bro. I’ll meet him in the middle,” Cejudo said. Song, 27, sees this as a pivotal moment in his career, saying, “This time it’s very important for me. I need to catch it because I had two chances to get into the top five, but I lost.”
Experts are divided on the outcome. Marc Montoya, a Factory X MMA coach, believes Song’s speed and youth could be decisive, predicting a win for the Chinese fighter, possibly in the later rounds. However, betting analyst Ian Parker notes that Cejudo’s wrestling pedigree and experience could give him the edge if he can control the fight on the ground. Parker suggests a bet on Song to win with the fight going over 2.5 rounds.
The co-main event features a middleweight clash between Brendan Allen and Anthony Hernandez, with Hernandez riding a six-fight win streak. The fight card also includes notable matchups such as Rob Font vs. Tatsuro Matsumoto and Bruno Silva vs. Armen Baghdasaryan.
The event is set to begin at 9 p.m. ET, with prelims starting at 6 p.m. on ESPN+. Both Cejudo and Song enter the fight with their careers at a crossroads, making this a must-watch event for MMA fans.
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