The UFC is heading to Seattle on February 22nd and today we learned of a big time bantamweight matchup that’ll be on the card. Krazy Kev MMA first reported earlier today and it’s since been confirmed that former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo (16-4) will be taking on Song Yadong (21-8-1).
It’s not clear whether or not this fight will headline the Fight Night in Seattle. Starting with Song, when he makes the walk on February 22nd, it’ll be his first fight in almost a year. The last time we saw Song was in March 2024 when he lost a close decision to former champion Petr Yan.
Song is one of the more talented fighters in the division and it’s crazy that even with his advanced experience, he’s only 27 years-old. Many, including myself, don’t believe that Song Yadong has reached his potential yet. This is a great opportunity for him to potentially beat a former champion and get back on track towards title contention.
UFC Seattle
Back in 2020, Henry Cejudo walked away at the very top of the sport. He had been the flyweight champion and then he had moved up and became the UFC bantamweight division. After defending the bantamweight title, he retired and walked away. However, almost three years later to the day, Cejudo made his return.
Cejudo returned in May 2023 to take on Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight title. Cejudo lost a razor close split decision in which many thought he won the fight. Following that loss, Cejudo was booked against Merab Dvalishvili in February 2024 and lost a decision to the man who is now the bantamweight champion.
It’ll be a year since we’ve seen Cejudo and unlike Song, Cejudo is getting up there in age. Cejudo will be 38-years-old when these two make the walk at UFC Seattle so it’ll be interesting to see what’s left in the tank.