LAS VEGAS – Song Yadong predicts he’ll be in the bantamweight title conversation if he can impress against Cory Sandhagen in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 210 headliner.
Yadong (19-6-1 MMA, 8-1-1 UFC) enters his first UFC main event against Sandhagen (14-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) with just one loss in his 10 octagon appearances. The bantamweight division is as competitive as it gets, but a win in a marquee matchup at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas could do wonders for the Chinese fighter’s career.
“I think if I finish Cory, I think I got the title fight,” Yadong told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 10 media day. “If not, one more. Just one more.”
The 135-pound pound belt will be on the line next month at UFC 280 when Aljamain Sterling meets T.J. Dillashaw. A big-time fight for the division between former champ Petr Yan and Sean O’Malley is scheduled for the Oct. 22 card in Abu Dhabi, too.
Additionally, names such as Marlon Vera and Merab Dvalishvili are making pushes for cracks at the title, but Yadong seems to like where he’s at.
The only negative that could be cast over a potential is that it would come over a slumping Sandhagen, who enters UFC Fight Night 210 off back-to-back losses.
“He lost two fights in a row, but he’s still dangerous,” Yadong said of Sandhagen. “He’s lost to top fighters. He’s still good.”
Although Yadong holds Sandhagen in high regard, he said this moment is all about him. At 24, Yadong might still be among the younger fighters at the top of the division, but he thinks he’s got all the attributes to take it all the way to the belt.
He’s already been in the UFC for nearly five years, has a good team behind him at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento,Calif., is working diligently to learn English, and just adopted the new “Kung Fu Monkey” nickname.
“I’m still young,” Yadong said. “I think this is just the beginning. I will go hard.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 210.
