Preview: UFC Macau ‘Yan vs. Figueiredo’

Welterweights

Muslim Salikhov (20-5, 7-4 UFC) vs. Kenan Song (22-8, 6-4 UFC)

ODDS: Salikhov (-175), Song (+145)

The UFC made its debut in mainland China back in 2017, and Salikhov’s first Octagon appearance was one of the more interesting subplots of the card. Well-known in the country for his success in wushu sanda—hence his “King of Kung Fu” nickname—Salikhov figured to be capable of some flashy violence. Instead, he wound up getting outwrestled and submitted by Alex Garcia in short order, forcing expectations to be adjusted accordingly. Given that deflating start, Salikhov did well to rebuild and turn into a solid UFC welterweight as he entered his late 30s, rebounding from the Garcia loss with five straight wins that varied from impressive knockouts to low-output affairs where his striking acumen mostly served to neutralize his opponents. By the end of 2021, it looked like the Russian might be able to sneak in a late-career run towards contender status, though that was eventually dashed with a knockout loss to Jingliang Li. That was the first sign that Salikhov was starting to plateau in terms of effectiveness—understandable given his age—but he has remained steady enough to put in some solid performances, like his win over fellow late-career action hero Santiago Ponzinibbio in July. Provided the last four months and change haven’t taken a lot out of Salikhov, he should be able to do some entertaining work against Song.

China’s Song has chugged along in the middle of the UFC’s welterweight division since his promotional debut with a fairly simple game. He’s a well-built athlete that picks his spots to hit like a truck. It’s a game that comes with a clear ceiling, as opponents with a plan of outmaneuvering Song can usually do so. However, it’s still difficult to come away with an entirely clean performance, as evidenced by Song almost knocking out Ian Garry as recently as last year. Salikhov has the chops to stay elusive against Song’s static approach, so he gets the nod, even if he will probably have to survive one or two shots that land cleanly. The pick is Salikhov via decision.

Jump To »
Yan vs. Figueiredo
Yan vs. Ricci
Salikhov vs. Song
Wang vs. Fernandes
Ulberg vs. Oezdemir
Zhang vs. Diaz
The Prelims