MMA Preview – Yadong Song vs Julio Arce at UFC Fight Night 197
YADONG SONG VS JULIO ARCE FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 197? Saturday 13th November, 2021 -19:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 197? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 197? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Fight Night 197 on? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 197? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
YADONG SONG VS JULIO ARCE LOWDOWN
Yadong Song (17-5-1(1)) responded well to the first loss in his last 10 fights. He was coming off his first six UFC bouts which included a draw against Cody Stamann (2019) and was quite lucky especially after landing an illegal knee in the first round. He then met Marlon Vera (2020) and got the nod from all three judges to earn a unanimous decision, but it was a lot closer fight than the scorecards suggested. He then fell on the wrong side of a unanimous decision against Kyler Phillips (2021) but bounced back by adding another solid name to the record by earning a split decision over Casey Kenney back in August.
We finally saw Julio Arce (17-4) return to action after 19 months out and he made a statement at the APEX. He dropped down to bantamweight and TKO’d Andre Ewell back in July. It was a great performance considering the time off and new division especially after losing two of his last three fights. He lost a split decision to Sheymon Moraes (2018), responded with a superb head kick knockout over Julian Erosa (2019) but then dropped another split decision, this time against Hakeem Dawodu (2019).
YADONG SONG VS JULIO ARCE PREDICTION
This is a great fight to kick off the main card. Arce is the slightly bigger man moving down from 145 lbs but Song is more explosive and powerful. Song looked more assured in his fight with Kenney and his movement was on point. He is also still only 23 years old and has a lot more potential to fill with the help of Team Alpha Male.
Arce is 32 but he also has a lot more to offer and we could see the best out of him at bantamweight. We expect an electric battle on the feet with Arce looking to force the pressure and maintain the volume for three rounds.
Song will also be aggressive and also wait to counter uncorking his power at any opportunity. He has knockout power and is very tough but cannot afford to eat many shots as Arce is also more than capable of a knockout.
That said, they are both durable which should create a three-round war. It will be close, but we are backing Song to look even better focusing on his movement and land more significant strikes to sway the judges. He also has a knack of winning close fights whereas Arce’s two UFC losses have been via split decision.
Arce is a value bet as the underdog especially if he can fire off his 1-2 and mix in some takedowns to break the momentum of Song.
Prediction: Song via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Arce via Decision
