Watch: When Song Yadong knocked out current One Championship lightweight champion Ok Rae Yoon at only 17 years old

Song Yadong is one of the biggest rising prospects in the UFC bantamweight division. The hard-hitting ‘Kung Fu Monkey’ is currently set to face off against former title challenger Marlon Moraes in the biggest fight of his career to date.

However, whilst Song Yadong may still be a rising prospect by UFC standards, he has been competing against incredibly high-level opposition for much of his career. Footage has recently emerged of Yadong’s seventh pro fight, in which he took on the now-One Championship lightweight champion Ok Rae Yoon.

Ok Rae Yoon won the title in 2021 when he put together a three-fight winning streak in the promotion. He defeated Marat Gafurov, Eddie Alvarez and former champion Christian Lee.

However, when Ok Rae Yoon and Song Yadong met at WBK True Martial 3, it was Yadong that came up victorious. He finished Yoon in the first round via a vicious KO.

Watch the finish below:

How far away is Song Yadong from a shot at the UFC title?

Should Song Yadong overcome Marlon Moraes when the two men clash in March 2022, he will likely enter the top 10 of the division.

However, considering the depth of the bantamweight roster, he may still have to win anywhere between two to four more bouts in order to secure a shot at the 135-pound belt.

The likes of Merab Dvalishvili, Marlon Vera and Sean O’Malley are all also on the rise at 135 pounds, whilst divisional veterans such as Dominick Cruz, Pedro Munhoz and T.J. Dillashaw make the bantamweight top 10 an absolute shark tank.

However, at only 24 years old, Song Yadong is only going to improve from this point onwards. The fight with Moraes will provides an excellent measure of just how ready Yadong is for the true elite of the division.

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