“It’s tough to live up to the hype when you’re a prospect out of China that was as highly touted as he is,” remarked play-by-play announcer Brendan Fitzgerald. “But in large part, he has.”
It’s not hyperbole to suggest that this week’s matchup vs veteran Marlon Moraes is the biggest of Song’s career to date. The March 12 bout on UFC Fight Night: Santos vs Anakalaev finds Song in the co-main slot for the first time since arriving in the UFC back in 2017. But if he turns in another first-rate performance Saturday, it’s a safe assumption that he should get used to being featured near the top of the card.
“I feel very excited about the co-main event,” Song told UFC.com vis translator. “Fighting such a big-name fighter…I’m very excited about it.”
MORE FIGHT NIGHT: Main Event Preview | Co-Main Preview | Santos Talks Fatherhood | Rise Of Magomed Ankalaev
There could be a layman’s temptation to suggest there’s a potential changing of the guard in this matchup, that Song is a fighter on the come-up while Moraes is heading in the wrong direction, but that storyline is lazy at best and outright nonsense at worst. Sure, the Brazilian is 1-4 in his last five and hasn’t won in nearly three years, but those losses were to the cream of the bantamweight crop: Merab Dvalishvili, Rob Font, Cory Sandhagen and former champ Henry Cejudo. And his lone win during that stretch was versus former featherweight champ and living legend Jose Aldo. It’s not like Moraes has been out here fighting tomato cans. But this will be Song’s opportunity to show he’s ready for his seat at the big kids’ table.
“I don’t feel like [Moraes] is a fighter on his way down. He’s a tough fighter. He was just unlucky to lose a few fights.
