Cory Sandhagen and Song Yadong capped a night full of violence with more violence.
The UFC Vegas 60 main event was a grueling and bloody affair that ended with Sandhagen securing the victory via doctor's stoppage technical knockout.
In round two, a slicing step-in elbow from 'Sandman' opened up a nasty gash on Song's left eyebrow. The cut wound up causing massive problems for 'Kung Fu Kid' in the ensuing rounds.
Watch Cory Sandhagen's win-securing elbow on Song Yadong:
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
It was clear that Song had a power advantage when the competitors traded blows. But what Sandhagen lacked in firepower, he made up for with accuracy. The 30-year-old sniped the crimson target with jabs, elbows, and knees.
The cageside physician gave Song a couple of chances to soldier through. But with the injury getting worse after each round, the doctor finally decided to intervene, preventing Song from entering the fifth round.
UFC fighters and fans react to Cory Sandhagen's brutal victory over Song Yadong
It's safe to say that UFC pound-for-pound king Alexander Volkanovski is a fan of Cory Sandhagen's style. The reigning featherweight champ took to Twitter to say that he loves watching 'Sandman' go to work – a sentiment that was echoed by Henry Cejudo, Curtis Blaydes, and Fabio Cherant.
Bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling made a bold declaration in the aftermath of UFC Vegas 60. 'Funk Master' called Sandhagen "one of the better guys in this division" and said he expects another meeting with the 30-year-old somewhere down the line. Meanwhile, former titleholder Petr Yan congratulated Sandhagen on a hard-fought win.
"I’m happy for Cory. I think he’s still one of the better guys in this division and I know I’ll see him again in the octagon. He dangerous and I got away with a quick one but no 2 fights are the same. Song is dangerous and will bounce back very quickly."
Francis Ngannou and Ben Askren couldn't help but get fixated on Song Yadong's nasty cut. Cody Garbrandt, on the other hand, pointed out how tough the Chinese rising star is.
Initially, Sandhagen seemed disappointed that the bout ended via doctor's stoppage. The way Daniel Cormier and Lando Vannata saw it, though, there wasn't anything flukey about the win.
"Not disappointed in that stoppage... That was great stop. They allowed him time but it got so bad. Great stoppage. Insane toughness by song but massive Performance by Corey Sandhagen."
Check out some fan reactions on Cory Sandhagen vs. Song Yadong: