UFC Seattle Main Event Pick
For the first time in nearly 12 years, the UFC heads to Seattle, Washington for a fight night card. Last time it was headlined by the greatest flyweight champion of all time, Demetrious Johnson. This time, they are leaning on the man who took the crown from him. The co-main event features a rematch of an LFA title fight from 2018 as Anthony Hernandez looks to shut down his rivalry with Brendan Allen. However, it’s obvious all eyes will be on the bantamweight headliner. Read UFC Seattle main event pick.
Henry Cejudo looks to avoid the first three-fight losing streak of his career and reignite the fire to reach the top of the division.
Song Yadong wants to add one of the best flyweight/bantamweight fighters to his win column while bouncing back from his March loss to Petr Yan.
Will the Olympic wrestler be victorious? Or will the Chinese slugger send Cejudo into retirement? Read on to see how this banger of a bantamweight main event could unfold and where to put your money.
Hey, while you’re at it, click here to check out our Godzilla Wins Daily Staff Picks!
Henry Cejudo
There were uber high hopes for Cejudo when he turned his attention to MMA back in 2013. He was an Olympic wrestling gold medalist in 2008 and brought a ton of hype into combat sports work. His 5th fight with the promotion saw him challenge Demetrious Johnson. He would come up short that night, quickly being knocked out in the first round. Losing his next fight to Joseph Benavidez, Cejudo went back to the drawing board and managed to put together another two wins for another crack at the title.
This time, he would un-crown Johnson and go on to defend the title once before winning the Bantamweight title and defending that once. No one expected him to retire after that May 2020 win over Dominick Cruz, but he sat on the sidelines for 3.5 years before returning and coming up short against Aljamain Sterling. Dvalishvili was the next opponent, who would then go on to become champion in his following matchup. At 38, he is still hoping to win gold once again, hence a third crack at getting into the win column for the first time since his retirement.
Cejudo’s Wrestling
Wrestling is obviously the first thing you think about when speaking of Cejudo, but what is most impressive was his ability to integrate striking into his arsenal sooner than expected. From his first fight with the promotion back in 2014, it was obvious he was not just your typical wrestler who would look only for the knockout shot to disguise a takedown attempt. There was a method to his greatness, and he applied it effectively. Even at this stage in his career, he can apply those same attributes that made him successful in the past, it’s all about whether his body will allow him to push to that level long enough over the course of 15 or 25 minutes.
Song Yadong
People could tell off jump that Song was going to be a special fighter when he came into the UFC in 2017, but it was when he joined forces with Team Alpha Male that we saw him take it to the next level. From the fact that he had 16 pro fights as a 20-years-old to the nasty striking nature he brought to the cage, it was obvious this kid was a fighter destined for big things.
Since November 2017, he has put together a 10-3-1 record with the promotion, largely coming up short in big spots, but not by a wide margin. He is 2-1 in main event fights but is most recently coming off a loss to Petr Yan on a stacked PPV card. Round one was a strong start for him, but as we all have come to know, Yan is normally a slow starter and that rang true against Song.
Song initially came into the UFC as a headhunter, berserker, and chaotic striker. Since joining Team Alpha Male, he has gotten a lot more methodical and surgical with his approach. Grappling was more of an afterthought in the past, but now he has worked tirelessly so he can keep fights in a position he feels most comfortable. That would be with him applying pressure and walking opponents down while firing off with powerful strikes. At just 27 years old, Song has acquired high level experience that will help him achieve great things over his next 7-8 years of fighting at the top of the bantamweight division.
The Pick
This is such a fun fight between two different styles. The line indicates that many believe the younger fighter will usher the older fighter out, but I beg to differ. We can’t completely write off Cejudo after losses to a former and current bantamweight champion. His wrestling is still to be feared, and his striking should allow him to remain competitive enough with Song.
Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s hard to build complete confidence in Cejudo given everything on the table, but I am thinking of taking a sneaky approach to this fight. Draftkings is currently offering the point spread at +100 for Cejudo. I feel this will be a fight that could be as close as 48-47 across the board, and to get straight plus money on this is not a bad risk. Chalk on Song is too much, but I just can’t build the confidence to bet Cejudo straight up either, so this would be the next best thing.
