When you have Casey Kenney and Song Yadong sharing the UFC Octagon, it was always going to be a barn-burner and that’s what happened as Kenney and Yadong put on a show to kick-off UFC 265. Two of the most proficient strikers in the UFC, both the fighters showed their incredible footwork, and their explosive power, in what was an exciting fight.
While Kenney looked great in the first few moments, it was Song Yadong who dictated the pace of the fight and landed some vicious kicks on Kenney to kick off UFC 265. Yadong looked more composed, and showed a great improvement compared to his previous outing inside the Octagon, as former two-weight LFA champion tried to get in the range of the Chinese fighter.
UfC, Song may be busier but Kenney is placed accurate timed shots. Close good fight, volume vs. placed shots, Song busier and nice body work. #UFC #UFC265
— Teddy Atlas (@TeddyAtlasReal) August 8, 2021
Going into the second round, it was Kenney who started advancing, however, a calm and patient Yadong took advantage of every moment that presented to him, mixing it with kicks and punches on the rising prospect. In the third round, while Yadong had his moments, it was Kenney securing a takedown in the closing moments of the third round that did the job for the former LFA champion. However, there was more volume, and more significant strikes from Yadong, who looked reasonably better than Casey Kenney.
Yadong did a great job of sliding in and out of range, but the pressure from Kenney dictated the pace of the fight and after everything was said and done, it was Song Yadong who emerged victorious at UFC 265.
What’s next for Song Yadong?
Song Yadong is exciting and has everything it takes to become a problem in the bantamweight division. However, he just hasn’t been able to put it all together. While he showed great resilience and huge improvement against Kenney, he failed to show up when it matters and slowed down considerably in the later rounds. Marlon Moraes, and Randy Costa, are likely the next options for Song Yadong, who could look to get his name in the ranked list of bantamweight contenders with a performance like that.
What’s next for Casey Kenney?
There are a lot of options for Casey Kenney, who will look to get his hands on a ranked opponent next. Marlon Moraes is an exciting option for Kenney, who could look to face yet another former champion after an incredible outing against Dominick Cruz earlier this year.
Kenney is young and has the makings of a future champion. However, it’s safe to say that he would need a lot of work if he wants to compete against the absolute best that the division has to offer.