Former bantamweight champ Petr Yan and Team Alpha Male standout Song Yadong kicked off Saturday’s UFC 299 main card at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
The fight had become something of a heated rivalry with the question of who had the better boxing being debated between the pair.
A cagey round 1 affair, with both trading clean calf kicks, and Song was landing the better strikes. Song was repeatedly feinting a takedown attempt, which Yan bit on, until with about a minute and twenty seconds left, Song actually shot and got him down to the mat with a perfectly executed takedown.
Yan began to start timing the feint takedown shots with a beautiful uppercut, but Song continued to walk him down. Yan began to let the hands fly, and started landing some really nice combinations. Yan displayed excellent takedown defence and balance to fend off s single leg shot, on a handstand. Petr Yan was beginning to look like the Yan before the belt, with a dazzling display of striking. Yan perfectly timed a shot and took Song down. It looked like an was beginning to take over the fight.
Song went back to his corner between the 2nd and 3rd round, with a cut between his eyebrow and eye. Replays showed it was from an elbow on the ground from the former-champion Petr Yan.
Petr Yan and Song Yadong were going blow for blow, takedown attempt for takedown attempt in the third round. An incredible pace, and it seemed like Yan was only getting stronger, and Song was slowing down, ever so slightly. A second cut emerged above Song’s eye, this time on the side of his other eye. A bloody visual. With just over a minute to go, Yan took Song down and controlled the final minute. Petr Yan put an end to his three fight win streak, with a very fun battle in all aspects of MMA.
Official result: Petr Yan defeats Song Yadong by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
