Song Yadong wasn’t originally meant to headline UFC Fight Night 223, but when he got the chance on short notice, he made the most of it.
Yadong (20-7-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) put on arguably the most complete and impressive performance of his career Saturday when he stopped Ricky Simon (20-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) by fifth-round TKO after he scored multiple knockdowns prior to the stoppage in the bantamweight headliner, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
It was an important bounce-back performance from Yadong, who still is just 25 and has tremendous upside as contender in the 135-pound weight class.