Among the growing list of amazing fights being added to the much-anticipated UFC Seattle on Feb. 22, former two-division champion Henry Cejudo (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) draws Chinese striker Song Yadong (21-8-1 MMA, 10-3-1 UFC). UFC Seattle takes place at Climate Pledge Arena.
Cejudo Looking to Regain Place as Best Bantamweight On The Planet At UFC Seattle
Returning to action for the first time since falling to future bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298, Cejudo finds himself in the middle of a two-fight losing streak. Since making his comeback from retirement almost two years ago, “Triple C” has dropped back-to-back bouts against then two-time defending 135-lb king Aljamain Sterling and the aforementioned Dvalishvili.
At one point in time, Cejudo was one of the top dogs in the entire UFC, but now, at age 37, another defeat at UFC Seattle may just spell the end of his illustrious career.
Making his company debut in 2014 initially as a bantamweight, Cejudo made the drop down to flyweight and quickly rose through the rankings to challenge the 125-lb title holder Demetrious Johnson. His first UFC championship fight did not go his way, however, as Cejudo would be finished in the first round after absorbing some brutal knees from “Mighty Mouse” before being stopped by ground-and-pound. This wasn’t the last time that these two crossed paths, with Cejudo earning another shot at Johnson by logging a pair of wins over Wilson Reis and Sergio Pettis. After a highly-competitive contest, the California native triumphed over the champion to become the new UFC flyweight king.
Following a successful title defense over T.J. Dillashaw, Cejudo attempted to contend for a second belt when he locked horns with Marlon Moraes for the vacant bantamweight championship. Although he faced much adversity early on in the bout, “Triple C” masterfully adapted in the third round to score a highlight-reel knockout against Moraes to become the fourth simultaneous two-divisional champion in UFC history.
Vacating his flyweight gold to become a full-time bantamweight, Cejudo defeated Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 before announcing his retirement, leaving the sport for three years.
A Hard Road of Ups and Downs Brings Yadong Chance To Fulfill Potential at UFC Seattle
Coming up short in his only appearance in 2024 to Petr Yan at UFC 299, Yadong is seeking to get his first victory since a December 2023 win over the veteran Chris Gutierrez. His contest versus Cejudo will stand as his third overall promotional main event, as well as his first since achieving a fifth round knockout over Ricky Simón at UFC on ESPN 45.
Now set to face the biggest challenge of his career during UFC Seattle on Feb. 22, the “Kung Fu Kid” stands to gain a considerable amount of ground towards title contention should he manage to turn away the once double champion.
Song Yadong Rising Through The Ranks to Reach UFC Seattle Main Event
For nearly the past eight years, Yadong has built up a solid reputation within the 135-lb division. Entering the promotion in 2017, the Chinese went unbeaten in his first six fights until he lost a hard-fought unanimous decision to Kyler Phillips at UFC 259, making it the first time he didn’t get his hand raised in three years.
Rebounding with a superb three fight win streak, including a knockout performance over UFC title challenger Marlon Moraes, Yadong was pitted opposite Cory Sandhagen in his first ever main event showcase. The contest did not go his way, however, as the long and crisp punches of Sandhagen took their toll on him throughout the night, culminating in a fifth- round TKO stoppage, setting Yadong back to square one.
Making solid work of Simón and Gutierrez, the then 26-year old went toe-to-toe with former interim and undisputed champion Yan. While he did have his moments in this bout, the Russian proved to be too great of an opponent and handed Yadong a respectable unanimous decision defeat.
