5 questions that will be answered at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Song

After the undeniably eventful UFC 279 pay-per-view, and all the chaos that preceded it, the world's premier MMA promotion is back at the UFC Apex for another Fight Night, which features some mouthwatering matchups.

This weekend's headliner pits surging Chinese youngster Song Yadong against former interim title challenger Cory Sandhagen in a bout with huge implications in the bantamweight division.

The rest of the card has a decent mix of veterans, up-and-coming stars, and even a couple of fighters making their UFC debuts, which should make for another eventful evening of MMA action.

With that said, here are five questions that will be answered at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Song.

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#5. Which UFC dedutants will steal the show?

Back in July, on the first episode of season six of Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS), the UFC president was far from happy with the fighters who were invited to compete for a contract. After the first three fights on the night went to lackluster decisions, the episode was saved by one of the headliners – Joe Pyfer.

Pyfer came away with a scorching second-round TKO victory, prompting Dana White to sing his praises soon after. 'Bodybagz' will make his full promotional debut at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Song, where he is slated to take on Alen Amedovski.

Another highly touted prospect set to feature at the upcoming Fight Night is Mexico's Daniel Zellhuber. The 23-year-old is also an alum of DWCS and boasts a perfect professional record of 12-0, comprising nine finishes.

Zellhuber's dominant showing in last year's edition of DWCS warranted a UFC contract and he will make his octagon debut against Trey Ogden. 'Golden Boy' will be itching to uphold his unbeaten status and add to his collection of finishes on Saturday night.

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#4. Which way is Aspen Ladd's career headed?

After compiling a 5-0 record at Invicta FC with four stoppages, Aspen Ladd signed with the UFC and got off to a sensational start. She won her first three bouts in the promotion – two knockouts and a 'Fight of the Night' winning matchup against Sijara Eubanks.

With her perfect 8-0 record and vicious style of fighting, Ladd was being touted as a real threat to the bantamweight title.

Aspen Ladd's fortunes have taken a disappointing turn ever since, as she's lost three of her last four bouts. Moreover, the American has had recurring issues making weight and has bounced back-and-forth between 135 and 145 pounds.

Ladd will look to return to winning ways this weekend when she takes on Sarah McMann, who sits one spot behind her in the bantamweight rankings. At 41, McMann is in the twilight of her career and has also been inconsistent of late.

Ladd is still just 27 years old. If she is to really make a name for herself in the bantamweight division, a loss against a fighter 14 years her senior could prove to be hugely detrimental, to both her confidence and her potential in the eyes of the UFC brass.

Aspen Ladd vs. Sarah McMann [Image via @BigMarcel24 on Twitter]

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#3. Will Chidi Njokuani add to his highlight reel?

With 30 professional fights under his belt already, Chidi Njokuani is among the most experienced prospects in the UFC middleweight division. The 33-year-old started his pro career way back in 2007 and amassed a 19-7 record coming into 2021, when he received an offer to fight on DWCS.

Njokuani cruised to a third-round TKO win to earn a UFC contract and has already delivered back-to-bonus first-round knockouts, both of which earned him 'Performance of the Night' bonuses.

Njokuani will look to pick up his third win in the UFC and extend his winning streak to five when he takes on Gregory Rodrigues in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Song.

Rodrigues is certainly a step-up in competition for 'Chidi Bang Bang'. The Brazilian will have a definite grappling advantage in this matchup, but his propensity to fall in love with his hands could come back to haunt him against the ever-dangerous Njokuani.

Amid Israel Adesanya's dominant reign atop the 185-pound weight class, the division has grown stale and needs a fresh batch of middleweights to ascend the ranks. if Njokuani manages another highlight reel knockout, especially against a highly respected opponent like Rodrigues, a shot at a top 15-ranked fighter could be on the cards.

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#2. Is Song Yadong ready to be in the top 5?

Song Yadong signed with the UFC at just 19 years of age back in 2017. Under the tutelage of MMA legend Urijah Faber, the Chinese ace has certainly come a long way. He has tasted defeat just once in the last five years and has worked his way into the top ten of the bantamweight division.

With his wins over the likes of Marlon Vera, Casey Kenney and Marlon Moraes, Song has established himself as one of the most promising up-and-coming contenders at 135 pounds. His record currently stands at 19-6-1 (1NC), comprising eight knockouts and three submissions.

Interestingly, Song is more experienced than his upcoming opponent, Cory Sandhagen, having started his career at such a young age. While Sandhagen is six years older than his Chinese counterpart, he hasn't had nearly as many professional fights, making this contest quite intriguing.

Of course, Sandhagen has been fighting the cream of the crop over the past few years and has even contested UFC gold. 'The Sandman' occupies the No.4 spot in the 135-pound rankings, making this a golden opportunity for Song to make a huge leap up the divisional pecking order.

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#1. Can Cory Sandhagen protect his place in the top tier of the UFC bantamweight division?

Cory Sandhagen has lost just three times in the UFC, with all three losses coming against former and current world champions. Additionally, there are a few factors to consider while assessing his recent run of form.

Sandhagen took on two-time champion T.J. Dillashaw last year in a high stakes bout and came away with a razor-thin split decision loss. The vast majority of the MMA community felt he deserved the judges' nod, and the amount of damage he caused relative to Dillashaw rendered this decision quite puzzling.

His next fight was a somewhat short-notice interim championship bout against former titleholder Petr Yan, who was originally supposed to fight Aljamain Sterling for the interim title. Sandhagen stepped in on a month's notice, traveled across the world to Abu Dhabi and put on a sensational showing against Yan, but ultimately came up short via decision again.

While Sandhagen's two-fight skid raises eyebrows on the surface level, it shouldn't cause too much concern. The Colorado-native has taken almost a year off since his failed attempt at the interim title to hone his skills and will look to kick off another title run on Saturday night with a win over Song Yadong.

When firing on all cylinders, Sandhagen is among the most dynamic fighters in the bantamweight division. His questionable and narrow defeats to T.J. Dillashaw and Petr Yan, respectively, serve as great indicators of his indenaible championship potential.

Sandhagen's place in the top five at 135 pounds is now under threat. A win on Saturday not only assures 'The Sandman' a place in the top tier of the division, but also moves him closer towards title contention.