Song Yadong impressed in the main event of UFC Vegas 72, held at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Displaying his skilled boxing, the Chinese bantamweight dominated Ricky Simon from start to finish. Yadong almost secured a finish with a guillotine choke in the first round, following a knockdown of his opponent. Despite being dropped, Simon was able to survive the round.

Yadong would continue to thwart every takedown attempt by Simon, while punishing him with strikes on the feet. He hurt Simon badly in the fourth round, but the bell saved Simon from further damage. Yadong was relentless in the final stanza, dropping Simon once again and unleashing a flurry of punches.

Referee Herb Dean called a halt to the contest, deeming Simon unable to continue. Yadong chalked up another win, taking his career record to 20-7 with one draw and one no-contest. This victory came seven months after a doctor stoppage against Cory Sandhagen broke Yadong’s three-fighting win streak over Marlon Moraes, Julio Arce and Casey Kenney.

Simon suffered his first defeat in six fights, slipping to a record of 20-4. In his post-fight interview with UFC commentator Daniel Cormier, Yadong expressed his desire for a clash with Sean O’Malley or a rematch against Marlon Vera, who he beat via decision in May 2020.