- The bantamweight battle between Henry Cejudo and Song Yadong headlines the UFC Seattle card on Feb. 22.
- Cejudo and Song are coming off losses in their previous fight.
- Cejudo is the +200 betting underdog, and Song is the -250 betting favorite.
A battle between top 10 bantamweight contenders will headline the UFC Seattle card on Feb. 22 inside the Climate Pledge Arena, as No. 7-ranked contender Henry Cejudo takes on the No. 8-ranked challenger Song Yadong in a pivotal match.
Both fighters are coming off losses in their previous fights, but a win for either athlete could significantly help them burst into the title picture.
Heading into the match, Cejudo will be the betting underdog with +200 UFC odds, while Song is tagged as the -250 betting favorite at BetMGM’s online sportsbook. Check out the odds and preview below.
Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong Odds
- Henry Cejudo: +200
- Song Yadong: -250
Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong: Prediction
I predict Cejudo will come away with a unanimous decision victory against Song because of his superior wrestling skills and elite fight IQ. Add his championship-level experience to the mix, and this should be a clinical win for the former two-division king.
If Petr Yan could take down Song during their match, then an Olympic gold medalist like Cejudo wouldn’t have an issue securing the double-leg or single-leg takedown against the Chinese contender.
The key for Cejudo is to immediately impose his dominance in the grappling department since Song is known to be a savage striker with a solid boxing background. This way, he would neutralize Song’s advantages in terms of height, reach, and leg reach.
Meanwhile, Song needs to keep the fight at the center of the octagon to avoid a much easier takedown for Cejudo since he can use the cage side to his edge. Furthermore, he must keep “Triple C” at a distance to showcase his striking prowess.
At 38, Cejudo might not have the same durability he once had during his prime years, and Song could stun him with significant strikes that he lands at a high clip of 44% accuracy or 4.49 significant strikes landed per minute.
However, I think Cejudo’s fighting style still favors him in picking the dub. Although Cejudo dropped his last two outings since returning from his brief retirement, he was defeated by two of the best fighters in the 135-pound division: Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili.
Henry Cejudo Recent Fight Results
Cejudo was a former Olympic gold medalist before he became a professional MMA fighter in 2013. He made his octagon debut in December 2014 and went on to become a two-division UFC champion.
In August 2018, he defeated Demetrious Johnson to capture the flyweight title, and in June 2019, he captured the vacant UFC bantamweight title when he knocked out Marlon Moraes at UFC 238 to capture his second belt in a different division.
Since this two-division world title achievement, Cejudo appeared in three more fights and accumulated a 1-2 win-loss record. During this stretch, he briefly retired from the sport to focus on his family.
Song Yadong Recent Fight Results
Song was a household contender in the Asian MMA circuit before signing with the UFC in November 2017. Because of his outstanding striking, he became one of the top contenders in the bantamweight division.
Several of his notable wins were against Alejandro Perez, Marlon Vera, Julio Arce, Marlon Moraes, Ricky Simon, and Chris Gutierez. These victories have helped him crack a spot in the top 15 rankings of the 135-pound weight class.
Song’s latest outing under the Las Vegas-based promotion was a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of former UFC bantamweight king Yan in March at UFC 299. He hopes to return to the win column against Cejudo.
Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong: Tale of the Tape
| Henry Cejudo | Song Yadong | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 38 | 27 |
| Height | 5’4” | 5’8” |
| Reach | 64 inches | 67 inches |
| Leg Reach | 37 inches | 38 inches |
| Record | 16-4 | 21-8-1 |
| Fighting Style | Wrestling | Boxer |
| Finishing Rate | 50% | 57% |
Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong Fight Card
- Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong, bantamweight fight
- Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez, middleweight fight
- Jean Silva vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan, featherweight fight
- Rob Font vs. Dominick Cruz, catchweight fight
- Edson Barboza vs. Steve Garcia, featherweight fight
- Ion Cutelaba vs. Ibo Aslan, light heavyweight fight
- Alonzo Menifield vs. Julius Walker, light heavyweight fight
- Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Eric McConico, middleweight fight
- Andre Fili vs. Melquizael Costa, featherweight fight
- Adam Fugitt vs. Billy Ray Goff, welterweight fight
- Ricky Simon vs. Javid Basharat, bantamweight fight
- Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Nick Klein, middleweight fight
- Modestas Bukauskas vs. Rafael Cerequeira, light heavyweight fight
