UFC Fight Night: Vieira vs Tate will feature an exciting match-up between Rani Yahya and Kyung Ho Kang. The fight was previously scheduled for July. But, hours before the card, Rani tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to cancel the bout. Nevertheless, it was a blessing in disguise for Kang as well. Since he was also going through injury recovery. Finally, both the fighters are ready to face each other this Saturday at UFC APEX, Las Vegas United States.
Kyung Ho Kang is returning to the octagon after 18 months since his last fight against Pingyuan Liu. Kang won that fight via decision and is currently now in a 3 fight win streak. His last loss came against Ricardo Ramos at UFC 227 back in 2018. That too was a split decision. Before the loss against Ramos, Kang was in a similar three-fight win streak. So, he will certainly look to strengthen his streak.
On the other hand, Rani Yahya is coming off his post-covid recovery. The UFC veteran has been an active fighter in the promotion for the last 10 years. But, the last couple of years didn’t go his way as he has won only a single fight since 2018. Yahya got his 21st submission over Ray Rodriguez in his last fight and will be looking to continue the momentum forward.
Rani Yahya vs Kyung Ho Kang Stats:
| Stats | Kyung Ho Kang | Rani Yahya |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 17 | 27 |
| Losses | 8 | 10 |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in | 5 ft 6 in |
| Division | Bantamweight | Bantamweight |
| Reach | 73 in | 67 in |
| Stance | Orthodox | Orthodox |
Kang vs Yahya Fight Breakdown and Prediction:
Kyung Ho Kang certainly has a height and reach advantage of three and five inches, respectively, over Rani Yahya. But, Yahya is an amazing wrestler. 21 of his 27 wins are by submission. So, he will certainly look for takedowns against Kang. However, Kang, with a 71% takedown defense should be able to defend his takedown attempts.
Both fighters have similar fighting styles. While both of them love to take the fight to the ground, in this case, Rani might come out as the better fighter. However, if Kang tries to keep the fight standing without focusing only on the takedown, he will enjoy his physical advantage over Yahya. Also, Kyung has the better striking ability of the two. Hence, it is safe to say that he could dominate the fight on the feet by exchanging blows and also control Yahya on the ground.
