The second to last Ultimate Fighting Championship event of 2023 may have been low on star power, but it was high on entertainment. UFC Fight Night 233 was a thrilling spectacle, featuring a main event showdown between two ambitious strikers, Yadong Song and Chris Gutierrez.
Yadong had previously suffered a brutal stoppage loss to Cory Sandhagen in 2022. However, he bounced back impressively against Ricky Simon, knocking him out 70 seconds into the final round. At 26, Yadong was improving with each fight and was a heavy favorite against Gutierrez.
Gutierrez, on the other hand, had demonstrated solid striking skills throughout his UFC career. Despite an 8-fight unbeaten streak (7 wins and one draw), he had recently lost a decision to veteran Pedro Munhoz. He had managed to bounce back with a decision over Heili Alateng, but facing a fighter of Song’s caliber was a different ball game.
The bout didn’t end decisively. Gutierrez fought intelligently and tough, but Yadong was just a tad better. Yadong wisely used takedowns and inflicted clean ground-and-pound. Although most rounds were competitive, Yadong was better in each, taking the decision by scores of 50-45, 50-45 and 50-44.
In the co-main event, former title challenger Anthony Smith found himself an underdog against the rising, unpredictable striker Khalil Rountree. Rountree, a tremendous talent who had struggled to put it all together, was on a four-fight winning streak, with three vicious knockouts. He extended his streak to five, winning the first two rounds, hurting Smith repeatedly, and then knocking him out early in the third round with a huge right uppercut and brutal left hook.
Elsewhere, Nasrat Haqparast scored his third consecutive win with a stunning 104-second knockout of Jamie Mullarkey. He caught Mullarkey with a monster overhand left and then repeatedly hit him with more heavy lefts until the referee intervened.
Looking ahead to 2024, here are three potential bouts worth booking:
Yadong Song vs. Petr Yan would be an absolute slugfest between two uncompromising strikers with superb boxing skills. This fight could potentially be the fight of the year, a boxing classic contested inside an MMA cage with four ounce gloves. Moreover, the winner would be an instant title contender for the UFC bantamweight throne.
Khalil Rountree vs. Nikita Krylov could be an exciting match-up. Both are outstanding talents who have recently found their stride, with Rountree on a 5-fight winning streak and Kyrlov on a 3-fight win streak. The winner of this bout would become a top title contender in the suddenly wide-open UFC light heavyweight division.
Nasrat Haqparast vs. Grant Dawson would be an intriguing match-up between two fighters just outside the Top 15 contenders. Both have recently lost against Bobby Green. The winner of this bout would likely crack the Top 15 contenders at lightweight and move up the ladder.