UFC Macau Preview: Muslim Salikhov vs. Kenan Song

China’s Kenan Song would have had almost no chance against Muslim Salikhov just a few years ago. But the Russian Sanda specialist is now 40 years old and looks like he might fall apart after every fight, although he still managed a split decision win over another old vet in his last fight, Santiago Ponzinibbio.

Still, Salikhov is 2-3 in his last five and needs to either pace himself slowly or gas out and be easy to finish in the third round.

The problem with Kenan Song is that while he possesses some power and skill on his feet, his volume lets him down. Song is caught up in taking pictures and reading for far too long, and he does not press what advantages he has, even when enemies are injured in front of him.

This plays perfectly into the game plan of ‘The King of Kung-Fu’. Salikhov will look to use his trained sanda-style kick attack to keep distance and score points as he looks to take a decision.

The song can also mix it up, but Muslim is known for his wrestling defense, having trained against wrestlers in Russia all his life. Still, using the clinch can be a way to control Salikhov and do damage with short strikes. The old fighter conserves his energy and is reluctant to commit to explosive moves to escape positions like that.

Salikhov is still the pick, but it’s entirely possible that Kenan Song will also pick up his first knockout since 2020 if the 40-year-old former ranked welterweight is too far past it. However, a tepid decision for either man is more likely than a knockout.