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Mike Coppinger, ESPN Boxing Insider
Former two-division champion Henry Cejudo will fight No. 8 contender Song Yadong in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Feb. 22 in Seattle, UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell told ESPN on Monday.
The co-main is also a bantamweight matchup as No. 9 contender Rob Font takes on former two-time champion Dominick Cruz, who will fight for the first time in over two years.
Cejudo (16-4) is one of the most accomplished fighters in UFC history. The 38-year-old will step into the Octagon for just the third time since his shocking retirement in 2020. Following a three-year hiatus, Cejudo dropped a split decision in a bantamweight title fight to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 in May 2023.
Cejudo (No. 7 at bantamweight) followed up that performance with a unanimous decision defeat to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298 in February. The former bantamweight and flyweight champion will be looking for his first win since he defeated Cruz via second-round finish at UFC 249.
The Olympic gold medalist freestyle wrestler — who fights out of Phoenix — is one of only four fighters to hold titles in two weight classes simultaneously. Cejudo claimed heading into the Dvalishvili fight that if he lost, he would retire again.
He’ll meet China’s Yadong, who is also coming off a loss. The 27-year-old striker dropped a unanimous decision to former champion Petr Yan at UFC 299 in March and didn’t compete again in 2024.
Yadong’s other defeat came against Cory Sandhagen in September 2022. In Seattle, Yadong (21-8-1) could enjoy support from the large Chinese community.
Font (21-8) has won two of his past six fights and is coming off a decision victory over Kyler Phillips in October. The 37-year-old Puerto Rican is consistently featured in action fights.
Cruz (24-4) is the UFC’s first-ever bantamweight champion. The 39-year-old owns wins over a who’s who of the UFC: Urijah Faber, Demetrious Johnson and TJ Dillashaw. Cruz has won Fight of the Night four times. His last fight was a loss to Chito Vera in August 2022.
The undercard is filled with top prospects and recognizable names.
Brendan Allen, the UFC’s No. 9 middleweight contender, will fight No. 13 Anthony Hernandez in a rematch. Allen (24-6) will look to rebound from a decision loss to Nassourdine Imavov in September. Hernandez (13-2) defeated Allen via five-round decision when they met in January 2018 in a Legacy Fighting Alliance main event.
Brazil’s Joaquim Silva, one of the UFC’s best prospects, will fight Armenia’s Melsik Baghdasaryan. Another vaunted prospect, Germany’s Islam Dulatov, will meet Adam Fugitt.
The UFC is working on getting Michael Chiesa, the winner of the inaugural “Ultimate Fighter” who fights out of nearby Spokane, Washington, on the card. No. 5 heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes will fight Rizvan Kuniev in another undercard bout.