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In a bantamweight battle on the main card of UFC 265, Song Yadong will fight Casey Kenney Saturday night at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX, with the bout available on ESPN+.
The 23-year-old Cruz walks into the octagon with a professional fighting record of 16-5-1 (1 NC). The veteran fighter last competed in March at UFC 259, where he lost to Kyler Phillips by unanimous decision. Surprisingly, it was Yadong’s first defeat since he joined the UFC in 2017.
“Kung Fu Monkey” is a competent striker, who also has some grappling abilities inside the octagon. Yadong lands 4.35 strikes per minute, with 42% striking accuracy. But he absorbs 3.64 strikes per minute, while his defense is at 57%.
The Chinese mixed martial artist has a pedestrian 0.59 takedown average per 15 minutes but 75% takedown accuracy. However, Yadong only boasts a 0.39 submission average and 56% takedown defense.
Kenney walks into Saturday’s main card with a professional fighting record of 16-3-1. It will be his second fight in 2021 after losing to Dominick Cruz in March at UFC 259 by unanimous decision.
Out of his 16 professional wins inside the octagon, Kenney has nine by unanimous decision. He also averages 4.81 strikes landed per minute with 42% accuracy. But the 30-year-old also absorbs 4.3 significant strikes per minute, while his defense is at 59%.
As for grappling, Kenney is better than Yadong, which could give the edge in this main card bout. He has a 1.1 takedown average per minute but 39% accuracy. The 30-year-old’s submission average is also better than Yadong’s at 0.49 per 15 minutes, with a defense of 59%.
Here are the betting odds at DraftKings Sportsbook for Song Yadong vs. Casey Kenney at UFC 265 on August 7th.
Money line odds
Yadong: -110
Kenney: -110
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