Matches to Make After UFC Fight Night 210

UFC Fight Night 210 on Saturday featured a fantastic showdown between two elite contenders—and two of its preeminent highlight-reel knockout artists—in perhaps the most high-skilled division in mixed martial arts.

On one hand, you had Yadong Song. A rough patch from 2019 to early 2021 featured a contentious draw against Cody Stamann, a controversial win over Marlon Vera and a loss to Kyler Phillips. However, Song has shown considerable improvement in his three most recent outings. After a fully deserved decision against Casey Kenney, he delivered sensational knockouts against Julio Arce and Marlon Moraes while showing off some of the best boxing in the sport. Still just 24 years of age, Song continues to make strides at 135 pounds.

Cory Sandhagen, meanwhile, is a walking mismatch in the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division at 5-foot-11, his highlight reel anchored by a spinning wheel kick knockout of Moraes and a flying knee finish of Frankie Edgar. While he entered the Octagon on a two-fight losing streak, many observers believed he deserved the nod in his five-round battle with T.J. Dillashaw, and he more than held his own against Petr Yan. Sandhangen lost, but no one left thinking any less of him as a result. If anything, his stock improved.

In his first assignment since losing to Yan, Sandhagen slammed the door on a tremendous and bloody main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas by prompting a doctor stoppage against Song between the fourth and fifth rounds. Song had dealt with a horrific gash above his left eye since the second round, and by the end of the fourth, it had grown too gruesome and dangerous for the fight to move forward.

Elsewhere, the middleweight co-headliner pitted Bellator MMA veteran Chidi Njokuani against Gregory Rodrigues at 185 pounds. After suffering a massive cut between the eyes in the first round, Rodrigues executed a timely trip and blasted Njokuani with ground-and-pound for the finish. Finally, Damon Jackson scored a stunning upset of Pat Sabatini a little more than a minute into their featured featherweight prelim, improving to 5-2-1 in the organization with his fourth straight victory.

In the aftermath of UFC Fight Night “Sandhagen vs. Song,” a look at a few of the matches that ought to be made:

Cory Sandhagen vs. Marlon Vera: This would be a glorious fireworks display between two strikers, and it would carry incredibly high stakes at 135 pounds. A wonderful treat for the fans, it could serve as a worthy co-main event on a pay-per-view while producing an elite contender to challenge for the bantamweight throne.

Yadong Song vs. Pedro Munhoz: While Munhoz may be a little past his prime and mya have lost some of his speed, there is no question that he is still a powerful, crisp striker with an iron chin. He is also ranked No. 9 in the division and would represent a nice bounce-back opportunity for Song, who sits just one rung below him. Not only would it be a guaranteed barnburner between two outstanding strikers, but it would give the victor another shot at becoming a serious contender. Song could also withstand risking another setback, given his young age.

Gregory Rodrigues vs. Brad Tavares: With Rodrigues already being 30 years old and having 17 fights under his belt, it is time to see whether he has what it takes to be a contender in the middleweight division. What better way than to have him face a longtime Top 15 gatekeeper in Tavares, who is currently ranked No. 14 at 185 pounds? Both men are well-rounded and always in shape, and they would likely engage in a technical striking battle. It would tell us a lot about Rodrigues and his capabilities at this stage of his career.

Damon Jackson vs. Alex Caceres: Caceres is a skilled striker who has traditionally been vulnerable to crafty grapplers like Jackson, but he has looked much better in that regard recently, recording a five-fight winning streak before losing to Sodiq Yusuff in March. Thus, we have an intriguing grappler-versus-striker affair and a chance for the 34-year-old Jackson to finally get ranked in the featherweight division. The loser will simply return to being a solid gatekeeper, while the winner will set himself up for some important contender matches in the future.