Analysts Map 3 Next Fights After UFC Macao Wins by Song Yadong, Pavlovich and Asakura
Updated
Updated · Yahoo Sports · May 30
Analysts Map 3 Next Fights After UFC Macao Wins by Song Yadong, Pavlovich and Asakura
16 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · May 30
Three matchup recommendations emerged after UFC Macao, with analysts pairing Song Yadong with the Cory Sandhagen-Mario Bautista winner, Sergei Pavlovich with Josh Hokit, and Kai Asakura with Raul Rosas Jr.
Song strengthened his bantamweight case by submitting former champion Deiveson Figueiredo in the second round, a result expected to keep him around No. 5 and position him for another contender fight.
Pavlovich added a 39-second first-round knockout of Tallison Teixeira for his third straight win, while Asakura scored his first UFC victory with a knockout of Cameron Smotherman after an earlier failed flyweight title bid.
The proposed pairings aim to turn UFC Macao's standout performances into divisional tests—Song toward title contention, Pavlovich against a talkative heavyweight if Hokit beats Derrick Lewis, and Asakura toward the bantamweight rankings.
After a striker’s stunning submission, must UFC contenders now master every skill to compete for a title?
Could Kai Asakura’s violent knockout be the key to unlocking the UFC's long-sought success in Japan?
Has Sergei Pavlovich's knockout streak set him up for a future stylistic nightmare against an elite wrestler?