Song Yadong put on a perfect performance when he took on the surging Ricky Simon in last night's main event at UFC Vegas 72. Yadong shut down all of Simon's takedown attempts and just punished him throughout the entire fight on the feet. It seemed as if Simon was never really in the fight.
Song Yadong drops and stops Ricky Simón for the fifth-round finish 😤 #UFCVegas72 pic.twitter.com/9ZAKFRKeeG
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) April 30, 2023
After his last loss to Cory Sandhagen many believed that Yadong wasn't going to make a run for the title. He quickly showed those doubters that he is still one of the best bantamweight contenders in the UFC. With that said, let's take a look at what could be next for Song Yadong.
What's next for Song Yadong?
In his post-fight speech, Yadong called out all of the bantamweight fighters inside the top-5 and after that win, he's definitely deserving of fighting a top-ranked competitor. Let's take a look at who could be up next for the “Kung Fu Kid” Song Yadong.
Marlon Vera
This would be the second fight between these two. The first fight, it was a very closely contested fight where Song Yadong won via unanimous decision. A lot of people believed that Vera did enough to win that fight, as did Vera himself as he was noticeably ticked off when the scorecards were read.
Both Vera and Yadong are a lot better versions of themselves this time around. Yadong has gone 4-2 since that first encounter meanwhile, Vera has gone 5-2. This fight would be an absolute barn burner especially if it was scheduled for a 5-round main event.
Petr Yan
Petr Yan is on a bit of a skid right now, losing three consecutive decisions. Even during that skid, Yan is extremely dangerous and one of the most exciting fighters in the division. A fight between Yan and Yadong as a fight night main event would make any fight card worth watching.
This would give Yadong a fight against a top-5 ranked opponent and this will give Yan the chance to get back on track. Yadong would go toe-to-toe with Yan which would be anyone's guess who comes away victorious in that one.
Rob Font
This may not be the top-5 opponent that Song Yadong is looking for but it is a step in the right direction. Rob Font is coming off a big win against the surging Adrian Yanez and will be looking for another big win to get his shot at someone inside the top-5 like Yadong. This would be the perfect fight for both fighters to progress in their careers and show that they are worthy of contending for the title. Also, you can expect these two to just throw down in the center until one of them just gives up.
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