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Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff Writer
The UFC’s return to China will be headlined by one of the best Chinese MMA fighters in the world.
Song Yadong will face Chris Gutierrez in the UFC Shanghai main event Dec. 9, sources confirmed with ESPN on Tuesday. MagicM_MMABets on X first reported the news.
Song (20-7-1, 1 NC) is coming off a fifth-round TKO over Ricky Simon in April. The China native, who lives and trains in California, has just two losses in his last 14 fights. Song, 25, was ranked ESPN’s No. 1 MMA fighter under 25 years old in 2021.
Gutierrez (20-5-2) has just one loss in his last 10 fights. The Texas native, who fights out of Colorado, is coming off a win over Alateng Heili on Oct. 14. Gutierrez, 32, knocked out legend Frankie Edgar in Edgar’s final career fight in November 2022.