With Yadong’s striking prowess and Simon’s relentless wrestling, it’s an MMA chess match that’s got the odds-makers working overtime. Read on as we dissect this electrifying matchup, offering you the best betting tips and odds before the UFC Fight Night 223 main event.

Betting Odds

Ricky Simon’s the betting favorite at odds of -136. Song’s a slight underdog and can be found at + odds at some sites, including BetUS.

• Simon: -136 (BetUS)
• Song: +107 (BetUS)

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Fight Analysis

Song Yadong, an 11-fight UFC veteran, is still just 25 years old. The culmination of vast UFC experience with that of still being outside of the age range widely considered to be MMA prime is very unique. Beyond this uniqueness, it is quite scary to think that Yadong has still yet to hit his prime, as he is one of the most electrifying fighters in the bantamweight division with dwindling flaws in his fight game.

From a fight-strength perspective, Song Yadong has an elite striking arsenal built on the ability to blend lightning-quick punches with snapping power. Whether it is landing underrated calf kicks from the outside or using impressive footwork to get in range, land a lighting-fast boxing combination, and exit range before getting countered, Yadong can strike with the best of them.

While his offensive striking is sound, Yadong can get into trouble with falling in love with getting into a striking war, as he is more than willing to wear one to give one. Moreover, being a sound offensive striker, he has faced trouble in the past with getting grappled. This defensive grappling issue was far more prevalent in years past than in recent note, as he has fought far more pragmatically, and when in balance, he has more than sound wrestling to stuff takedowns. That newfound ability to confidently stuff takedowns, and in fact, successfully offensive wrestle talented grapplers will be at an all-time test for him in this fight, and if he can pass it, then his hands give him more than a chance to win.

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As referenced above, Ricky Simon is an incredible wrestler. Somewhat similarly to Merab Dvalishvili, Simon puts on a constant, in-your-face pressure that is relentless and cardio-depleting for his opponents to deal with. Moreover, Simon, just like Merab, will pursue the takedown over and over, thus making him a very consistent fighter in the octagon with a sustained path to victory.

The scary aspect of Simon’s fight game, beyond having unrelenting and talented wrestling, is the fact that he has serious power on the feet, and, understands how to leverage this power to exacerbate his wrestling success. Often, when a fighter uses overhand punches to get in close and wrestle, I coin them “wrestle boxers”, and Simon is not only befitting of this tag but perhaps, at the top of the wrestle-boxer mountain for all UFC fighters.

As one can presume when watching predominate wrestlers in the UFC, the flaw in Simon’s fight game is when his wrestling is not as effective as he would like. If the takedown is continually stalled, Simon lacks fluid, technical striking on the feet to defend against talented striking technicians. While the case, this simply does not come to fruition all that often, as he has implemented his will on his opponents, who, many, are very talented UFC fighters with sound grappling acumen; but for Simon, the technical wrestling coupled with unrelenting pressure and natural strength, he has been able to get fighters to the mat, and once there, he is very heavy and has good submissions as well as ground and pound.

Betting Tips

The best thing Song Yadong has going for him is training in Team Alpha Male. This gym is littered with impressive wrestlers, many of whom fight at his weight. Couple this with the fact he is already a good wrestler with talented striking, and he can certainly win this fight.

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While this is the case, I cannot go against the freight train that is Ricky Simon. Simon displayed an ability to implement his will in his last fight against the talented Jack Shore, as he completely dominated from start to finish. I expect him to do the same, but the degree of domination will likely be less given the talent of Yadong.

Ultimately, I anticipate this fight looking quite similar to Merab vs Petr Yan, whereby Merab used unrelenting cardio to disallow the uber-talented Yan to get anything going in that fight. Because of this, I am taking Simon, and because the price is more than bettable, I am taking him straight here.

Pick: Ricky Simon to win (-136 at BetUS)

Read more: Braeden Arbour’s Ricky Simon vs. Song Yadong prediction

The post Song Yadong vs. Ricky Simon betting odds, tips appeared first on The Body Lock.

Song who currently holds wins over Marlon Vera, Casey Kenny, and Marlon Moraes made a big step up when he faced top contender Cory Sandhagen last September. The fight pulled away from him after suffering a nasty cut in the second round, but even in defeat Song proved to many fans he could be a future title challenger. To live up to that hype he will need to get past Simon, who sits two ranks below him, and prove again that he deserves a fight closer to the top 5.

Betting Odds

Ricky Simon will come into the fight as the favorite to win. Oddsmakers looking to play the underdog could win $107 on every $100 placed on Song.

• Simon: -136 (BetUS)
• Song: +107 (BetUS)

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Fight Breakdown

Ricky Simon’s base style comes from his high-level wrestling as a teenager. He utilized these skills as his roots when he early on transitioned to MMA, but his wrestling ability is still his most dominant skill. On the feet, he keeps a high guard, and a low stance, contrasting the more upright approach of Song. This allows him to stay cocked and ready for a level change at any moment, however, his quickness is potentially a shade behind Song. The diversity in his striking game is also a bit less pronounced, he sticks to his basic boxing combinations and very effective low kicks, but to keep up with Song’s striking he will need to mix the threat of the takedown into his feints consistently.

Song Yadong is supremely quick and explosive, both in his ability to slip punches and counter, but also in his sprawls. That being said, because he is so quick to react, he can react very big, and by getting him to drop dramatically under threat of a takedown, Simon will better open Song up to his big overhand rights and hooks.

Song Yadong is constantly evolving between fights, and that’s one of the variables always present, what new developments and changes will we see in his style every time he fights? As he progresses towards bigger stages, and likely more five-round contests as with his last, we have seen him shorten his stance, elect to plod forward instead of bounce and leap, and pick his moments to explode more efficiently.

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So expect him to mostly be the one pushing forward, although he still needs to make sure he is chasing, rather than cutting off the cage to avoid running to a level change. Song has shown excellent head movement as of late and a superior ability to strike off of angles to Simon, in particular, Song used a very crafty, slip off the right hand and angle back with a counter left hook in his last outing. He also likes to lead with the right cross or right body kick then follow up with a whipping left hook.

Simon has a very high-level chain wrestling game and a variety of ways he likes to shoot. One of which involves slipping punches directly onto the hips and running the pipe into the fence. Where he has a lot of ways he enters range, a lot of the time it involves getting to double underhooks, and once there a significant amount of attempts ends up in the clinch against the cage. One of the holes we have seen from Simon is from the clinch, where he will win wrestling exchanges, he will often take the brunt of strikes if that clinch is broken. Song has a unique ability to explode off the cage with big hooks when given space so watch for big shots in this scenario.

Song is almost impossible to get to the ground but if he is, he almost always scrambles back to his feet. Simon does a great job of immediately ‘figure four’ing the legs and getting to a body lock, but if he does not get passed the knees look for Song to use butterfly hooks to create a scramble. On top Simon is constant in his ability to re-address his hold on the body, pull arms back that are being used to post, and suck the hips back away from the fence. However because all of these tactics revolve around the upper body, he does tend to land very little ground and pound while he wrestles. While grappling he is a big control time fighter, and on the feet is where his power and damage really shine.

Prediction and Betting Guide

Despite being the underdog, Song’s skills match up very well with Simon’s. His takedown defense is among his best tools and his ability to scramble out of bad positions especially early will come into play. Coming down from a main event camp in his last fight should help Song’s confidence going another five rounds, with it being Simon’s first.

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For Simon, it’s about consistently putting Song’s back on the canvas and landing power shots as Song advances on the feet, which is also very doable with his skill set. However, I see Song’s ability to strike in transitions between the grappling and striking and his ability to defend those takedowns edging him out and making him the better bet as the underdog.

Pick: Song to win (+107)

Read more: Joe Pounders’ Song Yadong vs. Ricky Simon betting tips

The post Ricky Simon vs. Song Yadong prediction | UFC Fight Night 222 appeared first on The Body Lock.

Sandhagen returns after his unanimous decision loss to Petr Yan in October last year. The 30-year-old failed to win the Interim UFC Bantamweight Championship on that night but earned “Fight of the Night” honors for the five-round bout. It marked Sandhagen’s second defeat in a row following his split decision loss to TJ Dillashaw earlier last year.

Yadong enters the bout on an impressive three-fight win streak with victories against Marlon Moraes, Julio Arce, and Casey Kenney. His first-round knockout of Moraes saw him walk away with a  “Performance of the Night” award.

Read on for our staff picks, breakdowns, and predictions for Sandhagen vs. Yadong at UFC Fight Night 210.

Betting Odds

Cory Sandhagen enters as a moderate betting favorite before UFC Fight Night 210 this weekend. Yadong is a +160 underdog for the main event bout.

• Cory Sandhagen: -200 (BetUS)
• Song Yadong: +160 (BetUS)

Staff Predictions

Braeden Arbour

This is an extremely fun fight. Many who are speculating on the result have been pointing out that Cory Sandhagen is the more mature fighter, both with age and the level of competition he has met in the UFC. He has been floating among the top of the division for the past few years with c couple setbacks along with big wins, having come as close as an interim title shot. Song on the other hand has had a much more gradual but consistent rise, with only one setback in his UFC career. He is yet to fight top 5 contenders however. While Song is much younger it’s important to note that the two actually have an equal 10 fights in the UFC and Song has actually more pro fights in total due to an extremely active young career in China. Therefore in fight years, the two actually have a pretty comparable level of experience.

Song Yadong is an exceptional talent. He is very heavy handed and utilizes a sharp and tight kickboxing style that has been polished on top of his base roots in Sanda. We do still see flashes of this background in bursts and his fast side and head kicks but lately we see him cut deep with the fundamentals. His straight punches, hooks and uppercuts show little telegraph and are thrown with little fat on them. Although he does have attacks from the outside in his kicks, he does ultimately want to breach the pocket and intercept his opponents counters with superior speed.

This will be especially difficult against someone like Sandhagen. If Song cannot trap him between the fence, Sandhagen is the very best in the division at playing with space. He constantly drifts in and out utilizing his reach and switching stance to escape on any angle necessary whilst hiding his own attacks and entries. As aggressive a fighter as Song is, Sandhagen actually prefers to fight on the backfoot often because he can give up the space he needs and still land long shots down the pipe or draw his opponents into knees.

Song is probably the better offensive wrestler although this is never his primary approach. He is particularly good in scrambles which can be attributed to his time at Team Alpha Male, but this ability to constantly adjust will be important if he finds himself on top. Sandhagen does not have the same one punch KO power as Song but his knockout rate is similar because he throws high risk high reward attacks like jumping knees and spinning kicks. The drawback to these is if he misses those opportunities for Song to end up in a top position are opened and Song more than anyone capitalizes on moments of imbalance and quick reactions. That being said he has to stay disciplined if he chooses to attack any takedowns because Sandhagen is extremely quick to latch onto a submission threat at the cost of takedown defense so Song has to be wary of his neck at all times.

Ultimately I see a very closely contested fight, the five round format is relatively unknown to Song except for a single fight outside the UFC. On the flipside, while Sandhagen has more experience there, he has been somewhat unsuccessful over 25 minutes so far in the UFC. I see Sandhagen being elusive and how Song reacts will have major bearing on the outcome. If he stays disciplined and chooses his moments to explode while mixing up his attack I can see Song putting Sandhagen on his back and clipping him in short transitions in between Sandhagen working from the outside.

Pick: Song Yadong to win (+160 odds at BetUS)

Michael Pounders

#4 ranked bantamweight, Cory “Sandman” Sandhagen is yet again in a main event that could serve as a title fight eliminator. Sandhagen, much like the old saying “always a bridesmaid, never the bride,” seems to be perpetually highly ranked but unable to grasp UFC gold. He lost a narrow fight, which also won Fight of the Night honors, for the interim title in his most recent bout. Sandhagen is a complex and highly skilled mixed martial artist with all the skills needed to be a champion, he just happens to be in one of the most competitive divisions in the UFC. On the feet, Sandhagen is tall and long, standing 5’11. He is a high output striker who is adept at maintaining distance where his long kicks and sharp jab and be most effective. He is able to maintain a constant striking volume without slowing down for a full 25 minutes and does so while also incorporating unique and tricky footwork. Sandhagen moves awkwardly but fluidly, switching stances, bouncing in and out, and staying on his bike, very similarly to Dominick Cruz. His movement is designed to allow him to strike when he’s in his range, avoid counter shots when his opponent closes distance, and keep the fight in perpetual motion. Because of the awkward style, opponents often struggle to time his movement in the early rounds and Sandhagen can take advantage, often winning rounds 1 and 2. Then, with a lead, Sandhagen becomes even more mobile and defensively aware but never overly passive. His elite cardio allows him to continue moving and striking without concern for slowing down. While he often has the edge in striking technique, variety, and output, Sandhagen is also an adept wrestler if he needs to threaten with a new approach. Much like his striking, his takedowns are untelegraphed and well-timed. When Sandhagen is at his best, he tends to move on the outside of the cage, picking his shots carefully, then he’ll start to pressure forward, mix in some takedown feints, force his opponent to the cage and piece them up with a combination. While Sandhagen does not have notable power, he does have the ability to finish fights through an accumulation of damage over the course of 5 rounds. To put in perspective just how talented Sandhagen is, he’s only lost to 3 fighters in the UFC: the champ, the current challenger, and the former champ.

Song “Kung Fu Monkey” Yadong seems to have an anti-aging potion available only to him. The once super prospect has quickly turned into a legitimate contender and is ranked #10 in the division at only 24 years old. Yadong’s rise to and through the rankings is largely to do how elite of a striker he is. He is an incredibly fast and versatile striker who mixes up kicks, knees, and punches effortlessly. Like his opponent, Yadong fights with good volume and rarely throws a single shot at a time. In fact, most recently, Yadong seems to throw at least a 3-strike combination each time he engages. Throwing in combination often creates opportunities to catch an opponent cleanly. Yadong has the fundamentals, hand speed, combination variety, and power to not just catch and opponent cleanly but catch and drop them cold. He typically will feint his way into range, throw his multi-piece combination, and either exit the pocket or fake the exit. When Yadong fakes an exit, his opponent can over pursue a counter, which is exactly what Yadong wants, then Yadong with cut a quick angle and land another lightning quick combination. Between his hand speed, power, striking IQ, and high level footwork, it seems impossible that Yadong is only 24. In situations where an opponent pressures him, though, Yadong has shown his inexperience a bit. He is willing to stand and trade, blow for blow, rather than use his footwork to exit the pocket against pressure. In these situations, Yadong, while the fire fight is ill-advised, still has the advantage in power, speed, and toughness. He’s only been knocked out once in a fight outside of the UFC in 2016. In the UFC, Yadong has proven to have a reliable chin and an ability to win blow for blow brawls.

Both of these fighters are super high level and this fight is likely going to be razor thin and fan friendly. Sandhagen has the edge in experience, strike variety, footwork, and proven 5 round cardio. Yadong has the edge in speed, power, and youth. Each time Yadong has stepped into the octagon he has shown a significant improvement or development to his game. I expect Saturday to be no different. If the Yadong who beat Marlon Moraes in March is the Yadong that shows up, I still like him at underdog odds. But, considering he has improved each and every time we’ve seen him, I’m expecting to see an even better Yadong against Sandhagen. It’s going to be close, it’s going to be fun, and it’s going to be a fight you don’t want to miss, but, give me Yadong at plus money to edge out a win on the back of speed and power.

Pick: Song Yadong to win (+160 odds at BetUS)(+160 odds at BetUS)

Joe Pounders

Cory Sandhagen is one of the UFC roster’s most slept-on, dangerous fighters. The reasoning for his lack of widespread popularity is difficult to ascertain, but, the reasoning behind him being an extremely dangerous fighter in the bantamweight division is quite easily deduced after watching just about any of his previous fights.

As a bantamweight, Sandhagen standing 5’11” tall is an inherent challenge for any opposition he goes against. Often, we see height being a tool that is often not capitalized on for fighters of lesser skill, but for Sandhagen, he does an impeccable job maximizing the value of his natural frame advantage. Particularly, he uses elite footwork and a strong jab to keep his distance and fight at a range that creates the most advantageous situation for himself to win. Moreover, once the opposition eventually rushes in to cut the distance, Sandhagen throws dangerous knees and elbows to land against the fighter who foregoes defense in an attempt to fight at a closer range. This ability, to have the footwork and jab to fight at distance, and then, have the close-range attacks needed to find quick success when the opposition rushes in is what makes Sandhagen such an elite contender in the extremely tough bantamweight division.

Beyond having highly technical ability on the feet, Sandhagen has extremely underrated grappling with an elite gas tank. The former, of having underrated grappling, is important to state given he, having been submitted quickly by the current champion, Aljamain Sterling, may be perceived as a subpar grappler among casual fans. But, this perception would be greatly flawed in reality, as Sandhagen, similarly to his striking, does an impeccable job leveraging his large frame to pose difficulty in taking him to the mat, and in fact, has the technical skillset to offensively get the fight to the ground if he elects to do so – he took Petr Yan down in his last bout.

This grappling ability parlayed with an elite gas tank and impressive striking makes Sandhagen an elite contender; but, the facet of MMA that perhaps explains why he is on an 0-2 fight losing streak is that while he is able to fight any bantamweight extremely closely, he has difficulty separating himself from his opponent – in those two previous bouts, both were razor thin, with many believing he should be 1-1, and some seeing the fights as 2-0 in his direction. Lacking the ability to separate in the eyes of the judges is a legitimate flaw in Sandhagen’s fight-game, and is one he will need to figure out if he seeks to beat the elite challenger he is facing in this bout, and then, beat an elite challenger in his next (potentially fighting for the belt).

The immense accolades I gave to Cory Sandhagen will be seen once more when breaking down Song Yadong. This is because Yadong possesses high-end, elite skills wherever the fight takes place; and, when this is added to the fact that he is just 24 years old, results in my belief that he will fight for the belt in his UFC tenure, and if it isn’t against Umar, I believe he will eventually become champion. Projecting championship status for Yadong may seem lofty, particularly when knowing just how elite the bantamweight division is, but, his skills are simply that good, and the scary thing is they are seemingly improving fight over fight.

The specific fight skills that make Yadong elite are a combination of speed and power on the feet with very good wrestling. The former skill-set is far more interesting given he often favors striking in his fights, but it is important to reiterate that his wrestling is very strong, which comes as less of a surprise once the knowledge of his training taking place at Team Alpha Male – Uriah Faber’s gym – is known.

So, expanding on the striking of Yadong being lightning fast and powerful, he does an incredible job throwing strikes in a combined fashion. Often, it seems as if Yadong always throws in a 3-strike duration, and, the 3-strike combo will be to all levels of the body – he does an impeccable job working the body, and then, ending on a hook that lands powerful and aids in his defensive movement post-combination. Having output that is rooted in frequency, power, and speed makes Yadong a problem for the division as he has a unique skill-set that makes him extremely dangerous, particularly when the addition of having an elite chin is input. So, Yadong is able to use speed to land in and out strikes, but also, when he wants to throw in a flurry of exchanges, he can confidently do so because he will possess the greater power and will have the greater – or equal – durability with wearing strikes.

Cory Sandhagen’s elite footwork, the frequent output of strikes, elite cardio, and underrated grappling gives him every opportunity to win this fight. On the other end of the spectrum, Yadong’s elite combination of speed and power, good wrestling, strong chin, and an overall propensity to improve gives him every opportunity to win. What is interesting is that if Sandhagen loses, I do believe a drastic change to his style is needed – needs to find ways to separate beyond razor-thin margins – but if Yadong loses, I do not believe anything drastic will need to change given he is so young and still improving.

While I do not believe the absolute best version of Yadong has been seen nor will be seen here – meaning I don’t believe this is his peak – I do ultimately believe he has the necessary skills to get the win in this fight. This belief is largely due to forecasting each round being razor thin, but I believe Yadong has the power/damage advantage to notch him above Sandhagen on the judges’ scorecards given damage is the most important criterion when scoring the round.

Pick: Song Yadong to win (+160 odds at BetUS)

The post Staff Predictions: Cory Sandhagen vs. Song Yadong | UFC Fight Night 210 appeared first on The Body Lock.

After earning his way into the UFC in 2017, China’s Song Yadong proved a force to be reckoned with when he dispatched his first four opponents, three of which by devastating finish. Following this, a majority draw against Cody Stamann materialized, before Song resumed his winning ways against Marlon Vera, another top talent at 135lbs. A loss to Kyler Philips would serve as Song’s first and only UFC loss to date, but the step backward did not deter the man nicknamed “The Kung Fu Monkey”, and two following victories against Casey Kenney and Julio Arce brings Song’s record up to date. However, of all the names littering his record, none have the prestige of Moraes. 

A former champion in the World Series of Fighting, Moraes may have been one of the most anticipated names to come over to the UFC in 2017. Although his debut did not go as planned, the Brazilian standout proved it did not define him, then going on to win four fights in a row including former 125lb title challenger John Dodson, future champion Aljamain Sterling, and two contenders Jimmie Rivera and Raphael Assuncao. In less than three years in the promotion, Moraes earned a title shot against Henry Cejudo, and after a competitive first two rounds, eventually fell in the third. Since then Moraes has struggled to regain his glory, earning an impressive win against future Hall of Famer Jose Aldo, an outlier surrounded by disappointing losses to other top fighters. However, in each fight Moraes demonstrated that he is as dangerous as ever, the most recent being, bringing Merab Dvalishvili to the brink of unconsciousness before evidently gassing himself out and losing in the next round. In front of him now, Song Yadong does not possess the name value of his most recent foes, but a solid win would put him back on the correct track, if he loses, Song Yadong may just emerge as the next generation of Bantamweight title challengers.

Betting Odds

Although less experienced, the surging Song will ride his momentum into the fight as the -270 favorite against Moraes.

• Moraes: +220
• Song: -270

Breakdown

Song Yadong is dangerous everywhere but his preferred method of victory is striking. He is a scrappy young fighter with a lot of talent and being brought up in a good camp via Team Alpha Male. Subsequently, not only does he improve every time we see him in the octagon, but he often demonstrates totally new looks and changes to his style, sometimes coming out in a long spring stance, sometimes with a high posture and patient approach. Most recently, Song seems to utilize a wide stance but is fairly upright, which allows for much mobility. He will patiently walk down his opponents with leg and body kicks but explodes quickly when an opportunity presents itself. Often this takes the form of shifting from his upright position into a long step through and dipping movement which he can use to throw the overhand right and then the following stepping left hook. This is particularly used when he has forced his opponent into a distance from the cage where they will get caught and stuck in place for the hook. He also uses his forward pressure to draw out his opponent’s attack, at which point the faster Song can punch down the pipe to intercept them.

Moraes also tends to lean towards striking, although he will likely be the more well-rounded fighter in this match-up. Song likes to kick from the outside before bridging the gap and has become famous for the speed with which he delivers the left switch kick to the head. It is very likely the two men will engage in a battle of kicks early, as they both have confidence in this area, and both pose so much of a threat in the pocket if one were to enter carelessly.

However, inside the pocket, their defensive approaches differ. Song is great at both slipping and countering at the same time, it’s a common occurrence to see him slip the straight and counter as both men punch in unison. For Moraes, he looks to slip and weave and then return afterward, the upside to this is it allows him more control of his own balance when he strikes back, so his combinations tend to be a bit smoother and longer up close. The benefit to Song’s style is it often catches his opponents as they come in, doubling the force of the impact. The longer the two spend inside the pocket exchanging favors Moraes, but if Song can manage to move in and out and exchange in bursts, his style becomes more effective.

I do not see Song looking for many takedowns. Both men have an advantage on top as neither are specifically guard players, but Moraes is by far the more experienced jiu-jitsu artist. Should Song fail and end up reversed or swept, it’s far more detrimental on his side than should vice versa occur. The other aspect that plays a factor is that Song tends to look for scrambles in order to get back to his feet when taken down, whereas Moraes poses more of a threat in terms of submissions, more specifically he is known for his guillotines and other neck attacks which are most concerning as a takedown counter. If Song can knock Moraes down, that is probably the more likely reason we see him in top position, but don’t be surprised if Moraes looks to shoot on Song at some point, especially if he is hurt or finds himself losing exchanges.

Prediction

In terms of skill level, I think this fight is extremely competitive. Song represents the next generation of fighters, he is as fast and strong as anyone and his technique is just as sharp. Moraes has a smoothness to his style that only comes with years of championship-level experience but one major factor also has to be considered outside of skill. Moraes has sustained tremendous damage over his career and in his most recent performances, he has failed to take some shots I believe wouldn’t have been as much of a problem a few years ago. Especially inside of the pocket, the sequences of these two men’s boxing combinations will be like a chess match, however, I see Song surviving more punches than Moraes can, and eventually as the two collide, Moraes drops first.

Prediction: Song Yadong to win via KO

The post UFC Fight Night 203: Marlon Moraes vs. Song Yadong prediction, odds, betting preview appeared first on The Body Lock.

Prior to these losses, both men had surged through the 135-pound ranks, and whoever wins on Saturday will look to re-enter the top #15. Although young at only 23-years-old, Song boasts a wealth of experience, with a lifetime of Chinese martial arts under his belt and professionally debuting in MMA at only age 16.

Hailing from Portland, Indiana, Kenney is a multiple-time national Judo champion along with holding state gold in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. Both fighters have worked their way to round out their MMA games and are some of the most promising fighters in the sport.

Song vs. Kenney betting odds

We’re just days away from this fight at UFC 265 and this one is at near-even odds. Casey Kenney is the slight favorite but Song Yadong is also at minus odds.

• Song Yadong: -110
• Casey Kenney: -120

Song vs. Kenney breakdown

The keys to victory in this fight for Casey Kenney should be his takedown, his jab, and his left kick.

While Song, as expected from a Team Alpha Male fighter, is quick to scramble to his feet, we have seen fighters in the past have success taking him down, especially later in the fight. With far greater experience in the grappling realm, this could be a very important tool for Kenney to mix things up and not allow Song to gain momentum.

Song is extremely powerful and has excellent timing, however one habit which has been exploited in the past, is he doesn’t jab his way into range. He will often shuffle his way in and look to land with power right off the bat, which leaves a small opening for Kenney to exploit, which is why his jab and reactive takedowns could play an important role.

From the outside, Kenney’s best weapon is his wicked left kick, both to the leg and the body. With little wind-up, Kenney has successfully timed this kick on his opponents in many fights, and they are by far his cleanest and most devastating shots. It is also the longest weapon between both of them, as Song much prefers to strike in the pocket. Therefore Kenney should look to use it to score and frustrate Song while they are at a greater distance. As a southpaw facing and orthodox, that left kick should be open.

For Song, he is a bit sharper, quicker, and more powerful than Kenney and much lighter on his feet. He often pressures forward and draws out his opponent’s attacks, but is quick enough to intercept with hard shots down the middle. Look for Song to take the center of the octagon and pick his punches more methodically.

His best option is in the pocket, Song not only has cleaner striking but he also has a wider variety of strikes. Kenney sometimes has a habit of dropping his face and swinging back when put under too much pressure, which is where Song poses the most danger. He has to be aware of Kenney’s left leg kick when he enters range but should look to time his counters and capitalize when Kenney feels overwhelmed.

Both fighters start strong, but Kenney has faded and Song has lost composure in their most recent outings. When Kenney found himself breathing heavily in the third against Cruz, he began throwing one shot at a time, loading up and telegraphing. When Song found himself losing by the third, he resigned himself to chasing his opponent rather than cutting off the octagon and punching wider than his usual and technical self.

When it gets to the third round, both fighters have the potential to falter, whoever is able to overcome this past obstacle will likely finish out stronger.

Song vs. Kenney prediction

I think this will be a closely contested fight. There are many areas in which Kenney can win, however, I think that Kenney is more likely to gas himself out in such a close match-up skills-wise, leaving him more vulnerable at times. In these moments, he leaves too much room to be countered and Song is just a bit more technical and quick. If Song can make his way back to his feet quickly when taken down, I see him picking up a victory in the third.

Prediction: Song Yadong wins via KO in round 3

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Yadong’s intentions were clear early; he wanted to get rid of Perez as fast as possible. When Perez moved forward and tried to close the distance, Yadong planted his feet and let go of some heavy punches. That was just a sign of things to come.

As Perez attempted a left leg kick, Yadong answered back quickly with a thunderous right hand that sent Perez straight to the mat. The stoppage officially came at two minutes and four seconds into the first round.

SNAPPED HIS HEAD BACK ? #UFC239 pic.twitter.com/ofB6ae9AsJ

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 7, 2019

360-degrees of perfection ?#UFC239 pic.twitter.com/BtcxsqCr9O

— UFC (@ufc) July 7, 2019

Yadong now moves to 4-0 in the UFC and 15-4 as a professional. Since joining the UFC in November 2017, he’s now picked up wins against Bharat Khandare, Felipe Arantes, Vince Morales and now Alejandro Perez.

By getting Perez out of the Octagon quickly at UFC 239, it’s likely that Song Yadong will feature on the upcoming UFC card in Shenzhen, China. That event is scheduled to take place on August 31 and will be headlined by Jessica Andrade vs. Weili Zhang.

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