The top of the card appears to be in place for UFC
Seattle.
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A bantamweight clash between Henry
Cejudo and Yadong Song
has been targeted to headline the card. Verbal agreements are
reportedly in place, and the bout is expected to be finalized in
the coming days. Multiple outlets confirmed that the fight is in
the works following an initial report from Kevin K on X.
Meanwhile, Dominick
Cruz will lock horns with Rob Font in the
evening’s co-main event at 135 pounds. UFC broadcast partner
ESPN was first to report the pairing.
UFC Seattle — also known as UFC Fight Night 252 — takes place on
Feb. 22 at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, and
also includes a middleweight title between Brendan
Allen and Anthony
Hernandez as well as a heavyweight scrap between Curtis
Blaydes and Rizvan
Kuniev. According to ESPN, the promotion is working on getting
Spokane, Washington, native Michael
Chiesa on the card.
A former title holder at both 135 and 125 pounds, Cejudo returned
from a three-year retirement in 2023, falling to Aljamain
Sterling via split decision in a bantamweight title bout at UFC
288. The Olympic gold medalist returned to action at UFC 298 this
past February, when he dropped a three-round verdict to current
bantamweight king Merab
Dvalishvili.
Song’s lone appearance of 2024 came at UFC 299, when he suffered a
unanimous decision loss to Petr Yan.
Prior to that, the Team Alpha Male export had been victorious in
five of his previous six Octagon appearances.
Cruz, who has enjoyed two separate reigns as UFC bantamweight
champ, has seen his career derailed by injuries on multiple
occasions. The 39-year-old Alliance MMA standout has been a regular
at the broadcast table in recent months, but this will be his first
bout since suffering a fourth-round KO loss against Marlon Vera
at UFC on ESPN 41 in August 2022.
The 37-year-old Font is 2-4 in his last six promotional outings.
Most recently, the New England Cartel product snapped a two-bout
skid with a unanimous decision triumph over Kyler
Phillips at UFC Fight Night 245 this past October.