Song Yadong picks Petr Yan at UFC 333 and waits in Abu Dhabi for a title shot
The Chinese bantamweight who knocked out Umar Nurmagomedov in Shanghai says Yan has the edge in the trilogy, and meets fans on Yas Island on Friday.
Song Yadong will be in Abu Dhabi this week watching the fight that decides his future. The bantamweight contender meets fans at Yas Bay Waterfront on Friday from 7pm, and The National reports he is following Petr Yan against Merab Dvalishvili closely so he can position himself as next in line.
His pick is already on record. Speaking to MMA Junkie before his Shanghai main event in August, in an interview carried by Reuters, Song said Yan "has more advantage because he won the rematch" and has added new techniques. "Petr will win this fight," he said.
Song earned his place with the biggest win of his career. At UFC Fight Night in Shanghai on 29 August, at the Oriental Sports Center, he knocked out Umar Nurmagomedov with a right uppercut at 1:48 of the second round, according to UFC.com. It was only the second loss of Nurmagomedov's career, and Song had to fight through a cut from an accidental clash of heads.
The 28-year-old, known as "The Kung Fu Kid", has lost to both Yan and Sean O'Malley in the past. "I was young. I needed more experience," he told MMA Junkie, adding that a new boxing coach, nutritionist and psychologist have helped him improve this year. Before Shanghai, his best-known win was a submission of Deiveson Figueiredo in Macau.
Dvalishvili has already said he wants Song next if he regains the belt. Yan and Dvalishvili meet in the co-main event of UFC 333 at Etihad Arena on Saturday 24 October.
UFC 333: Volkanovski vs EvloevSat 24 Oct · Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi See ticketsSource: The National, MMA Junkie via Reuters, UFC.com
