UFC Shanghai Aftermath: 2 Intriguing Fights To Make For Song Yadong & Kai Asakura

UFC Shanghai has wrapped up, and the future of the bantamweight division is the burning question. The event helped reshape the weight class by introducing Song Yadong as a possible contender and promoting Kai Asakura as a future star.

With the event still crisp in the minds of MMA fans, here are two bantamweight fights to make following UFC Shanghai.

Song Yadong Vs. Mario Bautista

The main event of UFC Shanghai saw a huge upset as Yadong (24-9-1) knocked out Umar Nurmagomedov (20-2) in the second round. Entering the fight as the sixth-ranked bantamweight, Yadong will likely climb towards title contention after defeating the third-ranked Nurmagomedov. Though he should jump into the top five of the division, it’s doubtful that he would be the next challenger.

Earlier this year, Yadong lost to Sean O’Malley, who is the second-ranked fighter in the division. By being ranked behind and losing to O’Malley, Yadong is unlikely to get a rematch with him so soon.

Since a title opportunity is slightly out of reach, Yadong should instead set his eyes on the next highest-ranked available bantamweight, Mario Bautista. Similarly to Yadong, Bautista (18-3) saw himself complete an upset in his last fight when he defeated Cory Sandhagen.

After beating Sandhagen, Bautista jumped from his seventh ranking to fourth. With him and Yadong both coming off the biggest wins of their career, a fight between the two should be a logical next step.

Neither Yadong nor Bautista is quite deserving of fighting for the championship next, as they haven’t won a fight while being ranked in the top five. With the next likely bantamweight challenger being O’Malley, these two could fight to determine who contends after him.

Along with the potential title implications, a fight between Yadong and Bautista would pair two competitors that take aggressive approaches. Both fighters look to march forward and land heavy combinations, so this would be an exciting fight to make.

Considering both of these fighters have already fought at least twice this year, a bout between Yadong and Bautista could take place early next year. This matchup could main event a UFC Fight Night, but with the big fight potential, it may be better suited on a main card of a numbered event.

Kai Asakura Vs. Bryce Mitchell

UFC Shanghai saw another bantamweight earn a stunning finish when Asakura knocked out Aoriqileng in the second round. After starting his UFC career at flyweight, Asakura (23-6) moved up in weight and has now won his last two fights by KO. Though he has two finishes in his only fights at 135 lbs, he may have to earn a victory against a grappler before fighting a top 15 fighter.

In Asakura’s first fight in the UFC, he fought for the flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja. In that bout, he struggled against Pantoja’s grappling ability, which led to his second-round loss by submission. This weakness is also why he lost his second fight in the UFC to Tim Elliott, as he was submitted yet again.

Asakura needs to prove he has developed in this area before entering the top 15. A fight against someone such as Bryce Mitchell would be a good proving ground to test him.

Mitchell (19-4) isn’t currently ranked in the bantamweight division, but he once was a top-ten featherweight. Following his loss against Jean Silva at UFC 314, Mitchell dropped a weight class and is now on a two-fight win streak. He also has shown great submission prowess throughout his career, winning ten fights via submission.

This fight also wouldn’t just be for Asakura; it could evaluate Mitchell’s striking. While at featherweight, Mitchell struggled against strikers like Silva, Josh Emmett, and Ilia Topuria. Although he has fought bigger opponents, Asakura is more powerful than his previous matchups, so those stand-up concerns might come into play in this bout.

With both of these fighters recently joining the division and holding winning streaks, a bout between them offers the opportunity to address their biggest questions. Asakura and Mitchell have to showcase their improvements against stronger competition, which allows the winner to climb towards ranked status.

In light of Asakura making quick work of Aoriqileng, a fight with him and Mitchell could happen later this year. This fight lacks many ranking implications, so it’s unlikely that it would main event a show. Instead, it could be best served as a main card opener of a numbered event.

End Of My UFC Shanghai Rant

The aftermath of UFC Shanghai established two fighters in the bantamweight division. Yadong finally got over the hump and is beginning to make a case for himself as a future contender. Meanwhile, Asakura is collecting highlight-reel finishes and proving that his increase in weight was beneficial.

If Dana White and the UFC choose to go with these matchups, it would keep the momentum in the division going. In October, Petr Yan will defend the bantamweight championship against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333. Regardless of the outcome, the top of the weight class is surely to shake up near the end of the year.

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