UFC Last Minute Change- Urijah Faber May End Up Replacing Song Yadong

Fans watching the UFC weigh-ins tonight were greeted by a surprising figure, Urijah Faber. This means that The California Kid is looking to replace one of the lightweights on the roster for May 17.

When Marlon Vera steps into the octagon for his next fight, he may as well be going up against the UFC Hall of Famer. According to a report from ESPN, Song Yadong may be forced out of his upcoming fight, owing to a visa issue.

This revelation has left several fans wondering as to why the issue has been revealed just a day ahead of the event. In addition, the UFC is yet to reveal specific and more detailed information regarding the same.

“Urijah Faber made a surprise appearance at the weigh-ins today. He weighed in at 153.5. The reason he did so is because Song Yadong, who weighed 145.5, has a potential visa issue that may preclude him from fighting tomorrow. They are trying to sort it out. Faber standing by,” said Ariel Helwani on Twitter.

Therefore, it seems like Faber is on tap to replace his pupil. He weighed in at 153lbs. On the other hand, Chito came in at 145.5lbs, and as did Yadong.

The matchup between Vera and Yadong has experienced a lot of speed bumps up until fight week. Vera took to social media soon after the issue was revealed, claiming that the fight was off.

However, contrary to his opponent’s claims, a post on Yadong’s Instagram indicated that the fight was on.

During the media day, both fighters opened up about their viewpoints regarding the same. This is where the Chinese claimed that there was an issue with his visa.

Urijah Faber on stand-by

As per reports, the UFC is trying to hash out the issue to salvage the fight between Vera and Yadong.

The UFC and the over-seeing athletic committee have been scrambling to see if a short-notice fight between Faber and Vera is something that they can pull-off. 

“There is optimism at the moment the Song-Vera fight will ve salvaged and he’ll be good to go. Developing,” updates Ariel Helwani.

The last time Faber stepped into the octagon was back in December 2019. The 41-year-old went toe to toe against Petr Yan for three rounds before suffering a knockout.

Faber has often expressed an interest in making a comeback after coming out retirement in July 2019. It seems like he may have to wait a little longer for his return to the octagon.

What do you make of this situation?