By:  | August 14, 2022 1:23 pm

The bantamweight bout between Song Yadong and Cory Sandhagen has been confirmed for UFC Vegas 60. The fight has been signed and sealed for September 17th for several weeks but the event finally has an official name and venue.

Yadong (19-6-1) has been one of the big success stories among the influx of Chinese fighters to the UFC roster. The 24 year old was signed in 2017 and has been holding his own in the 135lbs division for the past five years.

Yadong is currently riding a three fight winning streak and is coming off a career defining KO of Marlon Moraes at UFC Vegas 50. That win earned the Chinese bantamweight a $50,000 USD bonus.

Long term viewers will have noticed how Yadong’s English has improved during the course of his UFC tenure. He is based permanently in Sacramento and trains at Team Alpha Male.

Touching distance

Sandhagen (14-4) holds wins over Frankie Edgar, Marlon Moraes and John Lineker. But the 30 year old is coming off back to back losses and will be looking to get back to winning ways here.

Those defeats did come at the hands of two of the best bantamweights on the planet. He dropped a decision to Petr Yan at UFC 267 in a bout which had the interim bantamweight title on the line.

Prior to that he had been beaten by split decision by TJ Dillashaw who is reportedly set to fight for the 135lbs strap next. Yadont is ranked #9 while Sandhagen is ranked #4.

That makes this the biggest fight in the career of the Chinese bantamweight so far. A win would help him crack the top five and move within touching distance of a title shot.

Long absence

Loma Lookboonmee will also be returning to the octagon after a ten month absence to take Diana Belibita. She announced the fight back in June and we know now it will be taking place at the Apex Centre in Las Vegas.

Loma (6-2) is a Muay Thai veteran and fought in Thailand and Japan before signing with the UFC. Belbita (14-7) is much more experienced in MMA terms but has just one win from her four UFC fights.

UFC Vegas 60, Las Vegas, September 19th
Cory Sandhagen vs. Song Yadong (Bantamweight)
Giga Chikadze vs. Sodiq Yusuff (Featherweight)
Aspen Ladd vs. Sara McMann (Bantamweight)
Alen Amedovski vs. Joseph Pyfer (Middleweight)
Anthony Hernandez vs. Marc-André Barriault (Middleweight)
Gregory Rodrigues vs. Chidi Njokuani (Middleweight)
Tanner Boser vs. Rodrigo Nascimento (Heavyweight)
Mariya Agapova vs. Gillian Robertson (Flyweight)
Sijara Eubanks vs. Maryna Moroz (Flyweight)
Loma Lookboonmee vs. Diana Belbiţă (Strawweight)