UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Figueiredo Preview
Set your alarms.
Things kick off at 4 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, because apparently the UFC looked at our weekend and said, “Yeah, let’s make these idiots wake up before sunrise.”
This card has a little bit of everything. Some legit fights, a few interesting prospects, heavyweight nonsense, and a couple matchups that feel like they belong on a regional card at your local casino where the cage is set up five feet from a blackjack table.
There are some genuinely good spots on this card, mixed in with a few fights that may have you questioning whether the UFC roster is maybe just a little too big these days.
But hey, sleep is temporary. Bad fight cards are forever.
Let’s get into it.
Song Yadong vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo missed weight at bantamweight the last time we saw him against Umar Nurmagomedov.
And honestly?
As rough as he looked on the scale, he somehow looked even worse once the cage door shut.
I just think the 38 year old version of Figgy is a shell of what he used to be.
There’s no shame in that.
Father Time remains undefeated.
Meanwhile, Song Yadong is coming off what I thought was a winning effort against Sean O’Malley. The biggest issue he had in that fight, which is the same issue basically everybody at bantamweight has, was dealing with O’Malley’s ridiculous length and ability to snipe from the outside.
If there’s one thing Song doesn’t have to worry about here, it’s length.
The only real edge I can give Figgy is five round experience.
And that absolutely matters.
We’ve seen it show up recently with Youssef Zalal against Aljamain Sterling and Arnold Allen against Melquizael Costa. Knowing how to manage championship rounds is real.
But Song has been there before.
And lately, Figgy’s output has fallen off a cliff.
Because of that, I think Song is going to be the one leading the dance here. Working kicks to set up combinations, pushing the pace, and forcing exchanges.
And people forget, Song is sneaky dangerous.
I just don’t see where Figgy is winning enough minutes in this fight.
Song is younger, faster, more active, and should be able to dictate where this fight takes place.
I don’t see a path to victory for Figgy.
Song wins this one any way he wants.
Pick: Song Yadong
Zhang Mingyang vs. Alonzo Menifield
Alonzo Menifield in the co-main event?
What are we doing here?
Look, Zo has power. He can absolutely change a fight with one shot, and his low kicks are legitimately dangerous.
Those same low kicks also happen to be the exact thing that gave Zhang Mingyang a world of trouble against Johnny Walker.
Before getting flatlined by Walker, Mingyang had ripped off an absurd 12 fight finish streak, looking like an absolute menace in the process.
But here’s the issue for Menifield.
I just don’t think he throws enough.
He has power, sure, but the volume simply isn’t there. And against someone like Mingyang, who likes chaos and pressure, that matters.
If Menifield can’t consistently make him uncomfortable or disrupt the rhythm early, I think this turns ugly fast.
Mingyang starts quickly, throws with bad intentions, and while there are definitely defensive concerns there, I’m not convinced Zo has the output to capitalize.
I think Zhang gets back on track and starts a new finish streak here.
And I don’t think it takes long.
Pick: Zhang Mingyang by KO
Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tallison Teixeira
Tallison Teixeira is the definition of looks like Tarzan, hits like Jane.
Man, did he look bad against Tai Tuivasa earlier this year.
He showed questionable cardio, questionable finishing ability, and somehow couldn’t even put away Tai Tuivasa, who at this point fights like a guy trying to win a bar bet.
Then the two tubs of shit proceeded to lay on each other for the final two rounds while Teixeira somehow got gifted a win.
And this is the same guy coming off getting TKO’d by Derrick Lewis.
So what exactly are we supposed to be impressed by here?
A knockout over Justin Tafa?
Come on.
Meanwhile, Sergei Pavlovich is still one of the more legitimate heavyweights on the roster.
He owns wins over Derrick Lewis, Curtis Blaydes, and Waldo Cortes-Acosta, and his losses came against Tom Aspinall and Alexander Volkov. No shame there.
Now yes, Pavlovich struggled with Volkov’s length, and Teixeira certainly has size.
But he doesn’t have Volkov’s skill. Or composure. Or experience.
Now he gets thrown in there with what basically amounts to Poatan’s favorite sparring dummy.
As much as I love Poatan, this guy just isn’t it.
I think Pavlovich eventually overwhelms him and turns this into a bad night.
Pick: Sergei Pavlovich by Ground and Pound KO
Kai Asakura vs. Cameron Smotherman
The last time we saw Cameron Smotherman, he was losing a decision to Ricky Simon.
Actually… scratch that.
The last time we saw Smotherman was him making weight for UFC 324, looking completely fine, only to then collapse walking off the stage.
Not exactly ideal.
As for Kai Asakura, the guy is 0-2 in the UFC, but let’s not pretend he was given some easy welcome package.
The UFC basically threw him to the wolves immediately.
His debut was a title fight against Alexandre Pantoja in what, at the time, looked like a pretty weak flyweight division. After struggling in his first two UFC appearances, he now makes the move up to bantamweight.
And honestly?
This feels like the UFC tossing him a softball to see if they actually have something here.
For the first time, he’s getting a matchup against someone who isn’t a major submission threat, which immediately removes one of the biggest problems he’s had so far.
If Asakura can’t win this one, the UFC experiment might already be cooked.
I think he puts on a striking clinic and finally breaks his UFC maiden.
Pick: Kai Asakura
Jake Matthews vs. Carlston Harris
Jake Matthews got absolutely fucked in his last fight against Neil Magny.
He had Magny put to sleep. The ref literally pulled him off like the fight was over, and somehow, against all logic and common sense, they came back out for a second round.
Naturally, because MMA is a cruel sport run by chaos, Matthews went from dominating the fight to getting submitted late.
He was originally supposed to fight Muslim Salikhov here, but instead gets Carlston Harris on short notice.
Harris is awkward.
He throws from weird angles, he’s dangerous, and he can make fights ugly.
But overall?
Pretty limited.
We also haven’t seen him in the cage in a year and a half, and he just pulled out of a fight against Michael Chiesa at the last minute.
Meanwhile, Matthews is simply the better fighter.
He’s more well rounded, more proven, and quietly has some really solid wins on his résumé.
Short notice opponent. Long layoff. Clear skill gap.
This feels like one way traffic.
Jake Matthews should be able to do whatever he wants here.
Pick: Jake Matthews by Finish
Alex Perez vs. Sumudaerji
Classic striker vs wrestler matchup here.
Alex Perez likes to come at you with volume. He uses his hands to open up his wrestling, moves well, mixes up his looks, and when he’s healthy, he’s still a very solid flyweight.
Sumudaerji doesn’t have that same mobility. He’s very good at controlling range and dictating where the fight takes place, and he carries a heavy left hand. He’s also a massive flyweight and tends to do his best work when he’s the one leading the dance.
But here’s the great equalizer:
The résumé.
Alex Perez has fought a significantly tougher strength of schedule, and his losses have really only come against some of the best flyweights in the world. We’re talking guys like Asu Almabayev, Tatsuro Taira, Alexandre Pantoja, and Muhammad Mokaev.
Su just isn’t that caliber of opponent.
And while Sumudaerji has had some success lately, it’s come against pretty soft competition.
There were legitimate questions about Perez after the brutal knee injury against Taira, but he’s shown he still belongs. Hell, I had him up 2-0 against Asu before getting caught in a guillotine, and I thought he looked excellent against Charles Johnson in his last fight.
This will also be his third fight in seven months, so activity isn’t exactly an issue.
The speed difference here should be obvious, and I think Perez’s ability to mix the striking with level changes is the difference maker.
I think he gets inside the range of Su, banks rounds with wrestling, and reminds people he’s still a very good flyweight.
Pick: Alex Perez by Decision
Luis Felipe Dias vs. Yi Sak Lee
The last time we saw Luis Felipe Dias was on Dana White’s Contender Series.
He won by submission, but Dana looked about as excited giving him a contract as someone getting told they have jury duty.
And honestly?
He was right to have some doubts.
Dias looked like he was starting to gas a bit before his opponent somehow managed to gas even harder.
Not exactly confidence inspiring.
But ultimately, he’s here now, making his UFC debut against another guy making his UFC debut in Yi Sak Lee.
And listen…
I haven’t watched a ton of tape on Yi Sak Lee.
But what I have watched?
Out and out dogshit.
I mean genuinely some of the lowest level MMA I’ve ever seen from someone getting a UFC opportunity.
At absolutely no point watching this tape did I think I was looking at anything remotely resembling a UFC caliber fighter.
Everyone who suffered through watching this tape is now dumber for having seen it.
I award him no points, and may God have mercy on his soul.
Yes, that’s a Billy Madison reference. And yes, it’s deserved.
Dias should have a massive edge on the mat, and I think he gets him out of there.
Pick: Luis Felipe Dias by Submission
Ding Meng vs. Jose Henrique
This one is actually pretty interesting.
Both guys should have their moments.
Jose Henrique’s striking defense leaves a lot to be desired, but offensively, he’s dangerous and absolutely capable of putting someone’s lights out.
His lone loss came against Yusaku Kinoshita on Dana White’s Contender Series, and honestly, that result has aged terribly.
Kinoshita finished him in the third round, then proceeded to have a UFC run that lasted about eight and a half minutes before finding himself right back on the regional scene.
That said, Henrique was only 20 years old at the time and has looked like a much smarter, more polished fighter since.
The biggest question here, outside of the defensive issues, is fight IQ.
Does Henrique fight smart?
Or does he let the ego get involved and willingly drag himself into deep waters for no reason?
Because Meng Ding isn’t exactly trying to grapple either.
He likes standing and trading.
He can’t grapple for shit.
So if both guys decide to play rock ‘em sock ‘em robots for 15 minutes, somebody is getting separated from consciousness.
Who gets it done?
Honestly, I have no clue.
I’ll lean Henrique, but my stronger read here is violence.
Best Bet: Fight Does Not Go the Distance
Aoriqileng vs. Cody Haddon
Aoriqileng somehow earned himself a knockout win the last time we saw him.
Cody Haddon, meanwhile, has been plagued with injuries and had to pull out of fights against Aleksandre Topuria and Malcolm Wellmaker. Though thanks to those pullouts, we somehow got Ethyn Ewing in the UFC, so I guess everything happens for a reason.
While Haddon has been absent, he’s still only 27 years old and someone I’m genuinely excited to see back.
I’m just not very high on Aoriqileng.
He’s exciting. He’s dangerous. He can absolutely land something nasty.
But I don’t think he has the well rounded game, or one standout elite skill, that makes him a legitimate threat against better competition.
The wrestling sucks. He doesn’t throw enough volume. And while he’s capable of landing one devastating shot, I just don’t think it happens here.
Haddon has multiple paths to victory.
He can take him down and control the fight, or he can comfortably win this on the feet.
Assuming the body finally cooperates and he’s healthy, I think Cody is just the better fighter everywhere.
I think we see the hittable Aoriqileng get pieced up standing.
Pick: Cody Haddon
Luis Gurule vs. Rei Tsuruya
We literally just saw Luis Gurule two weeks ago at the Apex.
Yeah, he won a unanimous decision over Victor Barez with three clean 30-27 scorecards, but those scores are a little misleading.
Barez had moments throughout the fight. Gurule just happened to finish every round stronger and land the bigger moments late, which is ultimately what won him the rounds.
That said?
I still think Gurule sucks.
He comes forward with pressure and volume, but overall, he’s just not that good.
Both guys are moving up from flyweight to bantamweight here, which makes the ultra quick turnaround for Gurule slightly less concerning. But he’s also flying halfway across the world on short notice and, perhaps most importantly, he’s still just not very good.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Rei Tsuruya, but the last time out he fought Josh Van, now the flyweight champion. That remains Rei’s only professional loss, and he still managed to make it to the judges’ scorecards.
This feels like the ultimate class relief spot.
In the pictures and videos I’ve seen floating around social media, Rei honestly looks like he’ll appreciate the extra 10 pounds at bantamweight.
He’s slick, crafty, and most importantly, he knows how to win rounds against inferior competition.
I think Rei controls this fight, mixes in the grappling, and bullies Gurule for long stretches.
Pick: Rei Tsuruya
Angela Hill vs. Jingnan Xiong
Angela Hill is still doing this MMA thing.
Or at this point, it’s more participating than anything else.
Somehow, the UFC managed to find Jingnan Xiong an opponent older than her, which honestly deserves an award.
Both these ladies suck, respectfully.
Angela Hill is tough as hell and impossible to put away, but she’s 41 years old now. At some point, Father Time stops sending warning shots.
Xiong can strike a little bit, but from what I’ve seen, the grappling leaves a lot to be desired.
I want absolutely nothing to do with this fight from a betting perspective, but like most women’s fights, I think we’re headed straight to the judges’ scorecards whether we like it or not.
This feels like one of those fights where nobody wins, including us for watching it.
Lean: Fight Goes the Distance
Loma Lookboonmee vs. Jaqueline Amorim
We start the night, or early morning I guess I should say if you’re in the U.S. and hate sleep, with a classic striker vs grappler matchup.
Total clash of styles.
Loma Lookboonmee is a pure striker. She wants to keep things standing, work at range, and make this a kickboxing match.
Jaqueline Amorim wants absolutely none of that.
She’s all BJJ, wrestling, and bad intentions once the fight hits the mat.
Neither of these women are exactly fighting for a title anytime soon, but the grappling edge for Amorim feels like way too much for Lookboonmee to overcome.
Amorim also has a pretty sizable reach advantage here, which only makes things tougher for Loma on the feet.
Honestly?
I think the wrong fighter is favored.
Pick: Jaqueline Amorim
At first glance, this card feels like one of those lineups where you scroll through it and immediately think, “Yeah… this could either be sneaky fun or a complete disaster.”
There are some legitimate storylines here. Can Song prove he belongs back in the bantamweight title conversation? Does Kai Asakura finally look like the guy the UFC thought they were getting? Is Sergei about to remind everyone there are levels to heavyweight? And perhaps most importantly, how many regional level performances are we about to pretend belong in the UFC?
Still, these random overseas cards have a funny way of delivering when expectations are low. Sometimes they end up being way more entertaining than the pay-per-views we used to spend $80 on.
So set the alarms, make some coffee, question your life choices around sunrise, and let’s see if this card ends up being sneaky good or has us all begging for a nap by 8 a.m.
Enjoy the fights.
Final Predictions:
- Song Yadong
- Zhang Mingyang by KO
- Sergei Pavlovich by Ground and Pound KO
- Kai Asakura
- Jake Matthews by Finish
- Alex Perez by Decision
- Luis Felipe Dias by Submission
- Fight Does Not Go the Distance (Meng vs Henrique)
- Cody Haddon
- Rei Tsuruya
- Angela Hill vs Xiong Goes the Distance
- Jaqueline Amorim
