Son had the unenviable task of meeting Petr Yan on short notice in his UFC debut last September, but although he came out on the wrong side of the cards, the South Korean newcomer impressed all those who tuned in by going shot-for-shot with the surging Russian who has since continued his climb into the Top 5.
From the outset, Son was happy to plant his feet and trade with Yan, catching the emerging contender with several good shots during their highly entertaining, fast-paced, back-and-forth fight. While the loss halted his four-fight winning streak, his stock skyrocketed nonetheless and now he gets the chance to build on the positives from that contest as he returns to the cage this weekend against Mario Bautista.
The MMA Lab product had a similar initiation into the Octagon as Son, getting called up on short notice to face an emerging contender in Cory Sandhagen in January, where he suffered the first loss of his professional career.
Son’s debut showed his vast potential as an exciting new addition to the bantamweight ranks, and this contest should further establish where he fits in the crowded, competitive weight class. Bautista is a tough out who will come well prepared and eager to give a better accounting of himself after dropping his debut, but if Son can replicate the effort he turned in against Yan on Saturday, he has a very good chance of emerging with his first UFC victory.
