Title Shot Leapfrog?! ‘If I Knock Petr Yan Out, I’m Next’

Song Yadong is ready to make a statement in the Bantamweight division at UFC 299 this weekend (Sat., March 9, 2024).

The men’s 135-pound weight class will take center stage in the promotion’s return to Miami, Fla., with the title on the line in the evening’s main event. Set to run things back, it will be the champion, Sean O’Malley, defending his crown against Marlon “Chito” Vera.

A pivotal contender bout will open the event’s main card when the 26-year-old Song takes on his first former champion, Petr Yan. Although the next challenger for the O’Malley-Vera 2 winner seems locked in as Merab Dvalishvili (the fight’s back up), Song is confident that if he extends his winning streak to three with a knockout, he’ll jump the line.

“I like Sean. I’m rooting for Sean, he’s going to win the fight,” Song told UFC News. “He definitely has good striking, better striking than ‘Chito,’ but ‘Chito’ definitely has good defense.

“Now, it seems like everybody wants Merab next to challenge, but if I knock Petr out, I’m the next,” he concluded.

The Song vs. Yan match up has been in talks the previous months after the possibility of the two fighting in China for the promotion’s return to the country. That idea fell apart, however, and led to Song instead fighting Chris Gutierrez this past December 2023. He won the bout via a lopsided unanimous decision.

“Before I fought Chris, I knew after the win, I will choose to face Petr, for sure,” Song said. “Because in the Top 10, both of us [needed] to fight.”

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Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 299 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).

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