Cory Sandhagen vs. Song Yadong: UFC Fight Night 210 Odds, Prediction
Cory Sandhagen finds himself on the rebound in the wake of the first back-to-back losses of his career, but remains pegged as a strong -210 favourite to win on the UFC Fight Night 210 odds. Conversely, Song Yadong has cracked the UFC bantamweight rankings during his current three-fight win streak, and is listed as an attractive +155 underdog.
Cory Sandhagen UFC Fight Night 210 Odds
There will be lots on the line for Sandhagen when he steps into the Octagon for Saturday night’s main event. “The Sandman” remains perched as the No. 4 contender in the UFC bantamweight rankings despite posting just two wins in his past five outings. But considering the calibre of his recent opponents, his continued presence near the top of the rankings in not surprising.
Sandhagen went a full five rounds before falling to Petr Yan by unanimous decision in his bid for the interim UFC bantamweight title at UFC 267. The 30-year-old’s performance was impressive considering he accepted the fight on short notice. That defeat followed a heartbreaking split decision loss to TJ Dillashaw at UFC Vegas 32, while his third recent loss came at the hands of current bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, who needed just 88 seconds to submit Sandhagen at UFC 250.
In fact, the Sandman’s recent wins have been impressive, and include speedy knockout victories over Marlon Moraes and Frankie Edgar that earned him a pair of Performance of the Night bonuses.
Song Yadong UFC Fight Night 210 Odds
Song has rediscovered his impressive striking power during his current 3-0 run. “The Kung Fu Monkey” is coming off a crushing KO win over Moraes just 126 seconds into their clash at UFC Vegas 50, which earned him a performance of the Night bonus, and vaulted him to his current position at No. 10 on the UFC bantamweight rankings. That victory came on the heels of another impressive knockout win over Julio Arce at UFC Vegas 42, and leaves the Chinese native with a 19-6-0 record, including 11 finishes.
While Song has experience fighting at bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight, he has limited experience in championship round action. The 24-year-old has seen just one of his 27 pro fights extend beyond a full three rounds. He has also produced mixed results when seeing a fight go the distance, with four of his six career defeats coming by decision. That includes his most recent loss to Kyler Philips by unanimous decision at UFC 259.
UFC Fight Night 210 Prediction: Sandhagen vs. Song
Both these fighters are skilled strikers, with the proven ability to finish opponents. Sandhagen holds a three-inch reach advantage, and is a skilled kickboxer who can wear down an opponent with leg kicks, or finish with head kicks. However, the grappling edge must go to Song, who is as effective at defending against takedowns as he is at finishing opponents. Look for Song to seek to neutralize Sandhagen’s reach advantage by working inside, and taking advantage of speedy level changes.
Prediction: Song by points or technical decision (+275)
