Henry Cejudo, a former two-time bantamweight and flyweight champion, will face No. 8 Song Yadong in the main event of UFC Fight Night, scheduled for February 22 in Seattle, announced Hunter Campbell, UFC director of business affairs. , Monday.
In the co-main event, another bantamweight match will pit No. 9 Rob Font against former double champion Dominick Cruz, who is relaunching after more than two years of absence in the Octagon.
Cejudo (16-4) is considered one of the most accomplished fighters in UFC history. At 38 years old, this is only his third appearance since his surprise retirement in 2020. After a three-year hiatus, Cejudo lost by split decision to Aljamain Sterling in the bantamweight title fight at UFC 288 in May 2023.
Ranked No. 7 at bantamweight, Cejudo followed that up with a unanimous decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298 in February. The former champion of both categories will look to get his first victory since his second-round stoppage victory over Cruz at UFC 249.
An Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling and a Phoenix-based fighter, Cejudo is just one of four athletes to have held titles in two weight classes simultaneously. Before his fight against Dvalishvili, he announced that he would retire again if he lost.
He will cross swords with Yadong, who also comes from a defeat. The 27-year-old Chinese fighter lost by unanimous decision to former champion Petr Yan at UFC 299 in March and has not fought through 2024.
Yadong’s second loss dates back to September 2022, against Cory Sandhagen. In Seattle, with the presence of a large Chinese community, Yadong (21-8-1) could benefit from considerable support.
Font (21-8) has won two of his last six fights and is coming off a decision victory over Kyler Phillips in October. At 37 years old, this Puerto Rican is often involved in spectacular fights.
Cruz (24-4), the first bantamweight champion in UFC history, defeated iconic figures such as Urijah Faber, Demetrious Johnson and TJ Dillashaw. He was awarded fight of the evening four times. His last fight ended in a defeat against Chito Vera in August 2022.
The preliminary card will also welcome several promising prospects and well-known names.
Brendan Allen, the No. 9 middleweight in the UFC, will face No. 13 Anthony Hernandez in a rematch. Allen (24-6) will look to bounce back from a decision loss to Nassourdine Imavov in September. Hernandez (13-2) defeated Allen by decision in their first fight in January 2018 in a Legacy Fighting Alliance main event.
The Brazilian Joaquim Silva, one of the best prospects in the UFC, will face the Armenian Melsik Baghdasaryan. Another promising prospect, Germany’s Islam Dulatov, will fight Adam Fugitt.
The UFC is also working to include Michael Chiesa, winner of the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” who fights out of Spokane, Washington. No. 5 heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes will face Rizvan Kuniev in another bout on the preliminary card.
This evening in Seattle promises to be an exciting one, bringing together top fighters, veterans looking to prove their worth and hopefuls eager to make a name for themselves. The stakes will be high for every participant, raising the question: what strategies will these fighters adopt to achieve their goals in this intense competition?
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