“Kung Fu Boy” – Fans thrilled to see excellent striking display of Song Yadong in victory over Ricky Simon
At UFC Vegas 72, Chinese fighter Song Yadong defeated Ricky Simon via TKO in the final round. Song has significantly improved since making his debut in 2017.
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Song Yadong defeated Ricky Simon (Image Courtesy - MMA Fighting)
Rising Chinese fighter Song Yadong took on Ricky Simon in the main event of UFC Vegas 72. Yadong came into the bout hoping to bounce back from his loss against Cory Sandhagen in 2022. On the other hand, Simon had a five-fight winning streak heading into the bout and had notable victories over Ray Borg, Raphael Assunção, and Jack Shore in previous fights. Yadong was a considerable step up in competition for Simon. However, Yadong got the TKO victory in the final round.
Yadong’s swift punches and movement kept Simon at bay from the beginning. After struggling with his punches, Simon started drilling takedown attempts to change the fight’s momentum. It did not go his way. Song Yadong stopped seven takedown attempts in the fight. In the fourth round, Song badly hurt his opponent with a powerful left strike. Simon entered the final round badly beaten from the damage suffered in the fight.
Once again, Yadong went for some body shots to set up another powerful left-handed hook to drop his opponent. He landed ground and pounded on Simon and trapped all ways of escape. The referee stopped the contest at the one-minute-ten-second mark. In the past, Yadong struggled when opponents deployed their wrestling skills. However, he showcased significant improvement in stuffing takedown attempts.
Yadong will get a top-ten opponent in his next fight. Since debuting in 2017, he has improved his game significantly. He joined Team Alpha Male and trained under the tutelage of Urijah Faber. Faber is one of the greatest UFC fighters who never won the UFC gold. He will hope to see his protégé claiming the title one day.
Fans react to Song Yadong stopping Ricky Simon at UFC Vegas 72
Song Yadong comfortably finished Ricky Simon at UFC Vegas 70. The fight started with Yadong landing quick strikes and Simon attempting takedowns. However, as the fight progressed, Yadong showed why he was a step up in competition for Simon. He got the stoppage victory in the fifth round to get the TKO victory. Yadong returned to the win column after losing his last fight against Cory Sandhagen. Fans took to Twitter to comment about the fight. Check out some of the fan reactions:
Fans are thrilled to see Song Yadong succeed in the main event. They want him to face higher-ranked fighters to understand where he ranks in the stacked Bantamweight division. He will likely get a top-ten opponent for his next bout.
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