Ahead of his UFC Shanghai main event against Umar Nurmagomedov on Saturday, the Chinese bantamweight is drawing inspiration from Bruce Lee, tuning out the outside noise and keeping his attention on the one thing he can control.

“After I got to the states that’s when I started to really learn about Bruce Lee. The more I learned it actually felt quite scary,” Song told reporters through a translator on Wednesday.

“Over 50 years ago understanding of combat and his life is already reached a very high level. These past few days I’ve actually been listening to his book and also some podcasts. He also talked about practice and traditional martial artists transitioning to competitive sports. His technique and some power generation method are actually very similar to when I first started training.”

“In the past I felt that if others didn’t believe in me I had to prove them wrong, but now for me whether it’s these companies, gambling or something, whether they believe in me or not, I don’t really care,” he said.

“Right now I only focus on myself.”

Song also made sure he had everything he needed for a full training camp without making things more complicated than they needed to be. With friends making the trip to help and the UFC Performance Institute in China providing everything under one roof, his focus could stay entirely on preparing for the fight.

“The preparation was actually the same place as when I just got to US. At the same time I got a lot of friends coming over to help including some local friends from Shanghai. At the PI all the facilities are very good so everything I needed was right there. I didn’t have to run back and forth,” he said.

“During our last conversations there wasn’t tension. We also waved to each other. (The) two of us don’t have any history or any issue, so to put it simply, it’s just a match,” said Song.

“I’m also not a trash talker.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Song Yadong above. He faces Umar Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC Shanghai on Saturday.

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Perreira (6-0) returns to action four months after scoring a devastating first round knockout of Gilbert Nakatani at ONE Fight Night 42. The “Flyin Hawaiian” wasted little time announcing himself to the ONE Championship audience, and now he’ll look to make it two straight under the promotion’s banner when he takes on Cesar at Lumpinee Stadium.

A second straight finish would do more than keep his undefeated record intact. It would put Perreira firmly on the radar as one of the flyweight division’s rising names. Fighting in the iconic Lumpinee Stadium only adds to the moment, giving the Hawaiian another opportunity to prove he belongs on one of the biggest stages in combat sports.

The post Joshua Perreira vs. Antonio Cesar Set For ONE Fight Night 48 On Oct 2 appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Robocop” battered Hernandez’s lead leg, stuffed takedown after takedown and survived a relentless five round war to walk out of enemy territory with a hard earned decision victory at UFC Sacramento on Saturday night.

Round 1 – Hernandez immediately brought the pressure to Rodrigues and shot for an early takedown, but instead drove him into the fence. The pace Hernandez fights with is relentless, and it was clear from the start that he wanted to use it as a weapon against the heavy hitting Rodrigues.

Rodrigues defended well, but Hernandez stayed glued to him and continued forcing him to work. Rodrigues managed to reverse the position against the fence, but Hernandez didn’t give him much time to enjoy it before taking control again.

Rodrigues landed a knee to the body that forced Hernandez back. Hernandez didn’t stay at striking range for long, using a right hand to disguise another takedown attempt before attacking the single leg. Rodrigues responded by firing elbows while defending the shot.

The Brazilian stuffed the takedown and immediately went to work with his hands, landing powerful jabs. He stuffed another shot from Hernandez and followed it with a big right hand before connecting with a clean one two.

Hernandez did what Hernandez does. He bit down and fired right back.

A right hand landed clean for Hernandez, followed by another before he immediately transitioned into yet another takedown attempt. Rodrigues stuffed that one too.

Hernandez then landed an elbow that opened a cut on Rodrigues and followed it with a right hand. He shot again and ate a few elbows for his trouble as the fight entered the final 20 seconds of the round.

Rodrigues stuffed another takedown, but Hernandez made sure to get his shots in before the horn sounded.

Hernandez walked back to his corner smiling.

Rodrigues was definitely not amused.

Round 2 – Hernandez came out quickly and landed on Rodrigues, but the Brazilian was more than happy to finally get some space to strike and immediately fired back. Hernandez shot for another takedown, got stuffed and landed an elbow on the break before Rodrigues began walking him down.

The post Gregory Rodrigues Overcomes Relentless Wrestling Attack to Beat Hernandez appeared first on Cageside Press.

It may not have been the most fan-friendly bout, but at UFC Sacramento the name of the game for Petrino was victory.

Round 1 – Petrino came out firing calf kicks, and Spivac was ready for the first one, avoiding it cleanly before eating a heavy kick moments later. Petrino went back to the calf, but Spivac responded with a quick one-two combination.

Spivac appeared very wary of Petrino’s power early, visibly reacting to nearly every feint. Petrino tried to time his attacks and find an opening, but struggled to land anything significant. The crowd quickly let both heavyweights know they weren’t thrilled with the lack of action.

A Petrino jab eventually found its mark and opened up Spivac somewhere on the face. Once Spivac got a feel for Petrino’s power, however, he became more willing to open up offensively.

Petrino continued finding success with the leg kicks and started putting more power behind them. He eventually switched things up by attacking the body before ducking in and unloading a combination, but Spivac was quick enough to avoid taking any significant damage.

Spivac tried answering with some heavy shots of his own, but he couldn’t find the target either. The crowd continued to voice its frustration as both men remained patient and cautious.

It wasn’t exactly a heavyweight firefight, but it was a technical opening round with both fighters clearly respecting what the other could do.

Round 2 – Petrino continued investing in the leg kicks before suddenly changing levels for a wild takedown attempt. Spivac stuffed the initial shot, but Petrino stayed with it and eventually dragged him to the mat.

Round 3 – Before the start of the final round, Spivac’s corner desperately tried to light a fire under him, yelling that the next five minutes were “for your father.”

Spivac certainly came out fighting like it.

He immediately went after Petrino, letting his hands go and landing some of his heaviest shots of the fight. The sudden aggression forced Petrino to change levels, and the Brazilian responded by putting Spivac on his hands and knees, exactly where Spivac couldn’t afford to be with the fight potentially slipping away.

Spivac battled back to his feet, but Petrino wasted little time dragging him right back to the mat. Spivac eventually worked his way up again, giving himself roughly two minutes to find something that could change the fight.

Petrino remained composed and continued fighting a smart, technical round while Spivac searched for an opening to land the kind of shot that could turn everything around.

That moment never came.

With around 10 seconds remaining, Spivac appeared to injure his ankle, adding one final bit of adversity to an already frustrating night. The horn sounded moments later, sending the fight to the judges with Petrino seemingly having done more than enough to secure the decision victory.

Official Result: Vitor Petrino def. Serghei Spivac via Unanimous Decision (30-27×3)

The post Vitor Petrino Defeats Spivac by Decision in UFC Sacramento Co-Main appeared first on Cageside Press.

Round 1 – Dolidze went to work with leg kicks early before closing the distance and getting into the clinch. He quickly pulled guard and attacked a leg lock, but de Ridder freed himself and went to work from top position.

Official: Reinier de Ridder def. Roman Dolidze via R1 TKO, 4:01

The post Reinier de Ridder Stops Dolidze, Earns First UFC Light Heavyweight Win appeared first on Cageside Press.

Round 1 – Emmers came out firing with a calf kick right away, but Douglas quickly returned the favor and followed it with punches upstairs. Emmers used the double jab to create some space before Douglas went right back to attacking the leg.

Douglas continued chopping away with calf kicks while Emmers worked behind his jab. Douglas also started sitting down on his punches, forcing Emmers to stay on the outside and keep moving rather than stand directly in front of him.

Emmers found some success with a clean one two followed by an oblique kick. He kept a steady pace, knowing that standing still in front of Douglas was probably a terrible life decision.

The movement started paying off. Emmers made Douglas miss and answered with his jab, while Douglas continued hunting for the big hooks upstairs.

Then Emmers decided he was done playing defense.

Emmers cracked Douglas with a massive right hand that sent him crashing to the canvas and brought the fight to an immediate end.

Just like that, it was over.

Massive knockout victory for the 37 year old from Miami!

Official result: Jamall Emmers def. Lerryan Douglas via R1 TKO, 3:38

The post Jamall Emmers Drops Douglas With Brutal Knockout at UFC Sacramento appeared first on Cageside Press.

Both men were coming off their first win in the UFC, and looking to starting building on that milestone. McVey was 1-2 in the promotion, while Schultz sat at 1-1 to start the night.

Round 1 – Schultz came out firing and landed a big right hand before the fight quickly moved into the clinch. McVey reversed position and dragged him to the ground, but Schultz immediately attacked with a guillotine as McVey scrambled to get his head free.

Schultz tried to tighten up the choke, but McVey eventually worked his way out and returned to his feet. Schultz was waiting for him there and pushed McVey against the fence while hunting for another takedown.

McVey eventually broke free and started getting his striking going. Schultz was perfectly willing to eat a shot to land one of his own, throwing plenty of one twos while apparently forgetting the UFC also allows you to kick people.

Schultz avoided a step in uppercut, but struggled to get much offense going afterward. McVey then landed a big knee that put Schultz on the back foot and immediately went hunting for the finish.

Schultz recovered quickly, but it only delayed the inevitable.

McVey blasted him with a huge knee to the body that folded Schultz and forced Jason Herzog to jump in and save him from any more punishment.

Big time finish and an impressive victory for Jackson McVey.

Official Result: Jackson McVey def. Wes Schultz via R1 TKO, 4:13

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Ahead of his UFC Sacramento matchup with Reinier de Ridder on Saturday night, Dolidze believes leaving the cut to 185 behind could help his health, extend his career and allow him to show the best version of himself inside the cage.

“It was how I was feeling my body. Mentally I’m always ready to cut weight, nothing can stop me, it’s all mental game I think. How I was gaining weight back and how I was in the fight, I didn’t like myself,” Dolidze told reporters on Wednesday.

“It’s why I fought, to prolong my career, I think it’s much better to move up weight class. Started (at) 205 in UFC. I had two fights and after moved to 185, fought one time, back with Anthony Smith. I think it’s smart decision to fight 205 for my health.”

Dolidze has spent time competing at both middleweight and light heavyweight, but he doesn’t believe the weight class changes who he is inside the cage. Whether he’s fighting at 185 or 205 pounds, Dolidze carries the same mentality with him.

“There is no difference, I am who I am, and I’m always fighter. No matter what’s going on in my life or how things are going. I’m fighting for life, not for fighting,” he said.

Fighter burnout can become a real concern after years of training camps and fights, but Dolidze took an unusual path into MMA. After getting a late start and skipping the amateur ranks entirely, he hopes that when his body and mind finally tell him it’s time to stop, he’ll be willing to listen.

“I never had amateur career. (I went) directly pro. First fight, pro fight. First time in my life I wear gloves probably I was 27-years-old. 28 was first fight where I fought MMA professional. In two years, only 6 fights, I signed with UFC,” he said.

“That’s all my career. I hope I will have enough (will power) when it will be time to say stop Roman. I never have stop in my head, but I hope I will understand the right time.”

As for what comes after UFC Sacramento, Dolidze isn’t spending much time thinking about specific names. After years of facing top competition, he believes whoever comes next is simply another opponent standing in his way.

“They are all opponents, my future opponents, of course. I don’t really care what is their name, but all these guys are my opponents. Already I’m fighting only top guys probably 4 years. Only top guys, top level,” he said.

“Who cares who’s next.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Roman Dolidze above. He faces Reinier de Ridder at UFC Sacramento on Saturday night.

The post Roman Dolidze Prioritizes Health With Move To 205 Ahead Of RDR Fight appeared first on Cageside Press.

After showing he can finish fights and go through a three round war, Petrino sees Serghei Spivac as the kind of opponent he needs to beat at UFC Sacramento to prove he is ready for the division’s bigger names.

“I already have proved myself inside of the heavyweight division. I have a very good submission, a knockout, and my last fight was a war of three rounds. Want to show that against Spivac that I can have bigger fights inside of the division,” Petrino told reporters through a translator on Wednesday.

“I know that Spivac is a very tough opponent, but I’m very ready to show my full potential against him.”

Meanwhile, Petrino also had a message for Valter Walker, who has made it clear he wants to test him on the ground. However, while Petrino respects Walker’s grappling, he reminded him that there’s much more to MMA than jiu jitsu.

“Valter Walker, he speaks too much, he’s saying that he’s going to get my feet. I have full confidence on my Jiu Jitsu, but we are not fighting Jiu Jitsu. We’re fighting MMA. I want to see if he can handle my hands,” he said.

Petrino believes the UFC heavyweight division is changing, with new contenders rising through the ranks. He sees Spivac as the perfect test to prove he belongs in that conversation.

“I see that the heavyweight division is starting to have a new transformation. There’s new athletes coming, new heavyweights coming to the game, and I think there will be new champions showing up in a very short time,” said Petrino.

“I think (Spivac) has proven himself already in the organization. He only has defeats in the top 5 of the organization. I’m going to be showing that I’m ready flight inside of the team.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Vitor Petrino above. He faces Serghei Spivac at UFC Sacramento on Saturday night.

The post Vitor Petrino Sees Spivac As Next Step Toward UFC Heavyweight Elite appeared first on Cageside Press.

As he prepares to face Vitor Petrino at UFC Sacramento, the usually reserved Spivac is focused less on talking his way into the spotlight and more on showing what a training room full of heavyweights at Freestyle MMA has added to his game.

“I think that’s normal. He is a UFC fighter, and there’s nobody who’s weak here in the UFC,” Spivac told reporters through a translator on Wednesday.

“It’s important for anybody who’s a UFC fighter to be confident in themselves. It’s part of the game.”

“We’re just very different. A lot of us are very different here. They’re doing their work. This is the way that they know to approach their work. They do a lot of loud speaking,” he said.

“I on the other hand am a little more quiet, a little more private of a person, but we’re all professional fighters. We’re all doing the way we know best. Different people do it differently.”

“There’s a good amount of competition there. There’s like 8-10 heavies so we’re working all the time together, we’re preparing, these guys had fights recently. So we’ve put together a really good team of big guys that are helping each other out,” said Spivac.

“A lot of it is keyed towards me. My preparation, the guys that I could compete with, the guys that give me some different looks. They specifically bring in new guys as well for my preparation.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Serghei Spivac above. He faces Vitor Petrino at UFC Sacramento on Saturday night.

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