Sandhagen Vs. Yadong In The Works For September Headliner

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight division continues to snag exciting main event spots as 2022 rolls on.

At UFC’s Sept. 17, 2022, event, former interim title challenger Cory Sandhagen will headline opposite China’s Song Yadong, according to Eurosport’s Marcel Dorff. The fight acts as Song’s first UFC main event and Sandhagen’s third.

The No. 4-ranked Sandhagen will enter the bout looking to snap a two-fight skid after competitive encounters with former titleholders T.J. Dillashaw and Petr Yan. Sandhagen’s last victory was arguably his best, scoring one of the greatest flying knee knockouts of all-time (watch highlights) against former Lightweight champ, Frankie Edgar. Marlon Moraes found himself on the receiving end of a Sandhagen highlight directly before, absorbing a spinning wheel kick followed by punches (watch highlights). “The Sandman’s” only other UFC loss came against current champion, Aljamain Sterling in June 2020.

As for Song, he too had a massive performance against the aforementioned Moraes (watch highlights). In his last time out, Song finished the former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) champion in just over two minutes, extending his current streak to three. At just 24 years old, the Team Alpha Male (TAM) product has already accrued a sturdy record with only five losses in 26 fights.

Sandhagen vs. Song comes after recent rumblings of Marlon “Chito” Vera vs. Dominick Cruz, Jose Aldo vs. Merab Dvalishvili, and the UFC 279 title fight between Sterling and Dillashaw. It’s unlikely the winner of Sandhagen vs. Song earns a title shot off a victory, but for Song, he can launch himself high up the ladder from his No. 9 spot over Sandhagen’s No. 4.