Cory Sandhagen Elbow Cuts, Stops Yadong Song in UFC Fight Night 210 Headliner

Yadong Song will likely bear the evidence of his encounter with Cory Sandhagen forever.

The 30-year-old Sandhagen kept his spot in the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight line, as he prompted a cut stoppage against the fast-rising Team Alpha Male contender in their UFC Fight Night 210 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The end came between the fourth and fifth rounds, and it certainly seemed justified.

The fight was competitive from start to finish. However, Sandhagen (15-4, 8-3 UFC) landed the signature blow in the second round, where he stepped into an elbow strike in the center of the cage and hacked open a ghastly diagonal gash above his counterpart’s left eye. Song (19-7-1, 8-2-1) fought through adversity initially, but the cut only widened and deepened as the bout progressed. By the time Round 4 was over, it became clear that he should go no further.

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Resilient Rodrigues Dismisses Njokuani

Former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Gregory Rodrigues overcame a horrific horizontal cut between his eyes to put away Chidi Njokuani with punches in the second round of their middleweight co-main event. Rodrigues (13-4, 4-1 UFC) brought it to a dramatic close 1:27 into Round 2.

Njokuani (22-8, 2-1 UFC) walked the Brazilian into a brutal knee strike to the face in the first round—accompanied by an audible crack, the impact sliced opened a gash that stretched from one eye to the next—and swarmed for a possible finish, blood streaming from the wound. Rodrigues refused to back down, returned fire and eventually hurt the onetime Tachi Palace Fights titleholder with right hands, clinch uppercuts and elbows. Njokuani had little left in the tank at the start of Round 2. Rodrigues bullied him to the canvas, postured in a kneeling position and let his hands go until the job was done.

Rodrigues, 30, has won six of his past seven bouts.

Fili Subdues Replacement Algeo

Team Alpha Male’s Andre Fili rebounded a 41-second stoppage loss to Joanderson Brito on April 30, as he eked out a split decision over former Ring of Combat champion Bill Algeo in a three-round featherweight showcase. All three judges scored it 29-28: Derek Cleary and Sal D’Amato for Fili, Chris Lee for Algeo.

Fili (22-9, 10-8 UFC) set the tone with a strong first round, where he blasted his counterpart with a pair of head kicks, one of which opened a sizeable cut at the top of his forehead. Algeo answered by upping his aggression in the second, leaning on punching combinations, stout leg kicks and a stiff jab. However, Fili undid much of the Pennsylvanian’s good work in Round 3, as he executed a takedown, threatened with an arm-triangle and eventually moved to the back. There, he set his sights on a rear-naked choke, his advances denied only by Algeo’s sheer unwillingness to go down quietly. The loss snapped a two-fight winning streak for Algeo (16-7, 3-3 UFC), who filled in for Lando Vannata on short notice.

Pyfer Wrecks Reeling Amedovski

Former Ring of Combat champion Joseph Pyfer celebrated his birthday in style and punched out Alen Amedovski in the first round of their middleweight attraction. Amedovski (8-4, 0-4 UFC) checked out 3:55 into Round 1, as he lost for the fourth time in as many appearances inside the Octagon.

Pyfer (10-2, 1-0 UFC) pressured the Macedonian backward and ate a few shots while probing for openings. He pushed Amedovski toward the fence, threw out a feeler of a left uppercut and followed it with a devastating right cross. The American Top Team rep hit the deck in a seated position, glanced up at Pyfer with empty eyes and took another punch to the face before referee Chris Tognoni arrived on the scene.

The 26-year-old Pyfer has finished his last three opponents.

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Nascimento Edges Undersized Boser

Takedowns and positional control spurred American Top Team’s Rodrigo Nascimento to a split decision over former Unified MMA champion Tanner Boser in a three-round heavyweight feature. Judges Junichiro Kamijo and Adalaide Byrd struck 30-27 and 29-28 scorecards for Nascimento, while Douglas Crosby saw it 29-28 for Boser.

It was a rather pedestrian exercise. Boser (20-9-1, 4-4 UFC) staggered the Brazilian with a left hook in the second round and followed up with a multi-punch volley in a bid to finish. Those efforts came up short, and Nascimento (9-1, 2-1 UFC) cut off any further advances with a well-timed takedown. The Dana White’s Contender Series graduate made the most of his 32-pound weight advantage in the third, where he executed a takedown roughly a minute into the period and remained in top position until a referee restart put the two men back on their feet with 33 seconds left on the clock. It was not enough time for Boser to swing the narrative fully in his favor.

The win was Nascimento’s first since May 16, 2020.

Hernandez Arm-Triangle Silences Barriault

Former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Anthony Hernandez choked Marc-Andre Barriault unconscious with an arm-triangle choke in the third round of their middleweight showcase. Barriault (14-6, 3-5 UFC) went to sleep 1:53 into Round 3, suffering the first submission defeat of his career.

Hernandez (10-2, 4-2 UFC) seized the reins at the start and refused to relinquish them, breaking down the Canadian with pressure and pace. He connected with crisp combinations on the feet and delivered repeated takedowns, complimenting them with positional control, ground-and-pound and occasional submission attempts. Barriault appeared to suffer a rib injury late in the first round, further diminishing his chances in a fight he was already losing. Hernandez enjoyed a dominant middle stanza and dumped him to the mat in the third. Once there, the Californian worked his way into position for the arm-triangle choke and let his squeeze do the rest.

The 28-year-old Hernandez has rattled off three straight victories, two of them by submission.

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