SI’s MMA Notes, Quotes, and Anecdotes runs every Monday.
Song Yadong dominated Ricky Simón on Saturday, ending their UFC Fight Night bantamweight bout with a fifth-round TKO finish.
The victory broke Simón’s five-fight winning streak, and Yadong ended the bout in emphatic manner with a picturesque left hook. Amid the excitement of his post-fight interview in the Octagon, Yadong called out Sean O’Malley and Chito Vera for a fight. But he forgot the one fight he really wanted.
“I forgot to say Petr Yan,” says Yadong (20-7-1, 1 NC). “He is a great fighter, and I want to fight him. I want to see who is the better striker. That is the fight I want.”
👀 @SongYadongLFG has a couple of names in mind for who he wants to see in the Octagon next! #UFCVegas72 pic.twitter.com/dzwjOVDQaQ
— UFC (@ufc) April 30, 2023
Only 25, this was an impressive showing for Yadong. His boxing controlled this bout, giving him an edge in every round, especially the second, third and fourth.
“I wanted to knock him out. I believed I could do it,” says Yadong. “I’ve been preparing and training for this fight, and that’s what I did.”
Simón (20–4) showed signs of life in the second. Once he recovered from a clash of heads and ensuing combo from Yadong, Simón began pulling his jab quite well, then timed out a takedown. He ended the round doing damage with hammer fists, but Yadong seized control in the third and refused to relinquish it.
Yadong drilled Simón in the final seconds of the fourth with a nasty left hook. His right hand was a major factor in the fifth, and he timed out Simón’s jab, which effectively decided the fight. When Simón threw his jab in the final round, Yadong landed an overhand right over the top of it. And that is the exact sequence that led to Yadong landing the left hook that dropped Simón in the fifth, and he followed up with a flurry of shots in the ground-and-pound to earn the TKO victory.
“I almost knocked him out in the fourth round,” says Yadong. “That’s when I got the timing down. I knew I would catch him in the fifth, and I got it.”
Yadong has won nine of his first 11 bouts in the Octagon. His future in the UFC is full of potential for championship gold. His next fight will be important, whether that is against Yan, Merab Dvalishvili or Vera, which would be a rematch of their 2020 bout that Yadong narrowly won by decision.
“I am excited for my next fight,” says Yadong. “I will keep working to show I am the best.”
Aljamain Sterling–Henry Cejudo bout includes fascinating backstory
Sterling will defend the bantamweight title against Cejudo this Saturday at UFC 288.
Sterling is chasing history. A victory Saturday would give him the most title defenses in UFC bantamweight history, which would be a major feat before he moves weight classes to featherweight or defends the title again against O’Malley.
A lot is at stake for Cejudo, too. If he wins, he’ll have to change his “Triple C” nickname. In addition to his Olympic gold medal, a victory against Sterling would start his third title reign in the UFC, making him one of the best to ever compete in the Octagon.
But is it a fair fight?
Cejudo has not competed in three years. In that same timeframe, Sterling has fought on four separate occasions. While retired, Cejudo was removed from the USADA testing pool. Sterling, who was active all that time, was not exempt from testing.
Whether Cejudo had an unfair advantage while healing his injuries is a question worth asking to both him and Sterling ahead of 288.
Luke Rockhold falters at BKFC 41
Rockhold reminded us who he is in his bare knuckle fight against Mike Perry.
It has been seven years since he wore gold in the UFC. He lost his last three fights in the Octagon. And Saturday, in the main event of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s biggest event to date, Rockhold lost by TKO.
The BKFC 41 light heavyweight bout ended just over a minute into the second round. It appeared that Rockhold suffered damage in the closing moments of the first round, when Perry drilled him in the mouth with a vicious left hand. Rockhold never recovered, and, 75 seconds into the second, he removed his mouthpiece and ended the fight.
Luke Rockhold says he isn’t done but wants some gloves for his next fightpic.twitter.com/O0VW8wa4Ey
— MMA Mania (@mmamania) April 30, 2023
Perry (3–0) has the potential to continue having success in bare knuckle fighting. Rockhold (0–1) does not. While fighters are typically the last to know when it is time to retire, it appears this is the perfect moment for the 38-year-old Rockhold to step away from combat sports. That was also the case for Chad Mendes, who lost an outstanding bout in the co-main to Eddie Alvarez. Mendes retired following the loss (it was odd not to see him leave his gloves in the cage, but only because there were no gloves to be left), but Alvarez, at 39, suddenly has new life.
While all signs point to retirement, Rockhold has already announced his intention to fight again.
Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
