UFC Fight Night 210: Song Yadong vs Cory Sandhagen Picks, Predictions, Odds

Cory Sandhagen and Song Yadong fight Saturday in UFC Fight Night 210 at the UFC Apex. Sandhagen enters this fight with a 14-4 record and has won 43 percent of his fights by knockout. Yadong enters this fight with a 19-6 record and has won 42 percent of his fights by knockout.

Sandhagen has split his last 6 fights and is coming off an October loss to Petr Yan. Sandhagen is averaging 6.42 significant strikes per minute with an accuracy percentage of 44 percent. Sandhagen is averaging 0.71 takedowns with an accuracy percentage of 33 percent. Sandhagen is coming off a decision loss at UFC 267 where he landed 172 total strikes and ate 158 total strikes. The bout earned fight of the night honors and Sandhagen is still looking for his first win since UFC Fight Night 184. Sandhagen has a background in kickboxing and is a black belt in BJJ. Sandhagen is a bouncy athlete who fights with a lot of energy and isn’t afraid to let his hands go. He is highly effective in ground and pound if a fight gets to the canvas. Sandhagen does a wonderful job of closing the distance and is terrific in the clinch where he uses knees and elbows. A long, rangy fighter, Sandhagen can be a bit unpredictable on the feet and is good enough to hold his own on the ground if he gets taken down. This will be Sandhagen’s fourth career fight in Nevada.

Yadong has won 10 of his last 12 fights and is coming off a March win over Marlon Moraes. Yadong is averaging 4.92 significant strikes per minute, with an accuracy percentage of 42 percent. Yadong is averaging 0.45 takedowns with an accuracy percentage of 42 percent. Yadong is coming off a knockout win at UFC Fight Night 203 where he landed 14 total strikes. The bout earned performance of the night honors. Yadong is riding a 3-fight winning streak, and 4 of his last 7 wins have been knockouts. The Kung Fu Monkey is only 24 years old, but he has nearly a decade of pro experience already and is 8-1-1 under the UFC banner. Yadong comes from a Chinese kung fu background, but he’s a balanced fighter who is most comfortable standing up and relying on his boxing. Yadong has to become more comfortable with his wrestling if he’s going to take that next step in his career. This will be Yadong’s fifth career fight in Nevada.

Yadong is on a nice little run that makes him worth taking a look in the underdog role, but this is a step-up in competition given his recent bouts. Sandhagen is the more polished striker who just went toe to toe with Yan, and he’s the better athlete who has some takedown ability. Sandhagen is also the bigger fighter with a 3-inch reach advantage, and his ability to switch stances could also be an issue for Yadong. I’m just not ready to back Yadong in big spots against some of the better fighters in the division. 

Give me Sandhagen and the somewhat reasonable juice.