Tomorrow night in the main event of UFC Vegas 83, we are going to see a helluva matchup in the bantamweight division. Top fifteen contenders will battle it out as China’s Song Yadong (20-7-1) takes on a tough challenge in Chris Gutierrez (20-4-2).
Originally, the plan was to have Song Yadong take on former UFC champion Petr Yan and the event was supposed to take place in China. However, Yan wasn’t able to fight and the location had to move from China to Vegas anyway. When Yan wasn’t able to take the headlining spot, Gutierrez stepped in.
Gutierrez made his UFC debut back in 2018 at the Ultimate Fighter Finale and lost to Raoni Barcelos. However, since that loss, he’s gone 8-1-1 in his last ten fights. In April at UFC Kansas City, he was defeated by Pedro Munhoz. However, he bounced back strong in October with a decision win over Alatengheili.
Song Yadong will also be looking for his second straight win tomorrow night. Last September, Song lost a war to Cory Sandhagen in a fight where he would’ve been in title contention with a win. After the loss, Song regrouped and knocked out Ricky Simon in a five-round main event in April. Tomorrow, he’ll look for his second straight headlining win.
UFC Vegas 83 Prediction
I cannot wait for this fight as both men are extremely good on their feet. With Gutierrez, he loves to stay at range and use his kicks and knees. Kicks can be really impactful against a guy like Song and if he’s able to keep the distance throughout, I think he can win a decision over a guy like Song.
However, he’s going to be at a speed disadvantage and I believe that’s going to play a huge role. I really love Song’s ability to use his speed and boxing to get on the inside. Ultimately, I think that he’s going to be able to get inside throughout the night and when he’s there, he’s going to land the bigger and cleaner shots.
I do believe we are going all five rounds tomorrow. Gutierrez is tough as hell and so is Song. That said, Song is going to land the bigger shots throughout and don’t dismiss him landing takedowns. Song will get another big win at UFC Vegas 83.
Prediction: Song Yadong by Decision