HOUSTON – The next time you hear a fighter breakdown his game plan before a fight, take it with a grain of salt. That’s the message Song Yadong drove home at his UFC 265 post-fight news conference Saturday.
Following his split decision win over Casey Kenney in the pay-per-view main card opener, Yadong (16-5-1 MMA, 6-1-1 UFC) admitted his pre-fight revelation of a grapple-heavy game plan was intentionally inaccurate.
“Because of my striking, I felt better,” Yadong told MMA Junkie at a post-fight news conference. “I didn’t need to wrestle him. … Everybody lies (before the fight), not (telling) the truth. Nobody says the truth.”
With the win, Yadong reenters the win column after a loss against Kyler Phillips in March – exactly what he set out to do. That was a theme with the fight altogether. The fight played out nearly exactly how he planned. However, there was one aspect of Kenney’s game that came as a surprise.
“There was one thing (that surprised me),” Yadong said. “He was too slow. It surprised me.”
Yadong, 23, is 9-1-1 in his most recent 11 outings. His only loss, against Phillips, came by unanimous decision. The Alpha Male product did not give a timeline for his return or a targeted opponent. Instead, he wants to spend time with his wife and son, who now live in the United States.
UFC 265 took place Saturday at Toyota Center. The main card streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.
Check out Yadong’s full UFC 265 post-fight interview in the video above.