Jean Silva meets Song Yadong backstage at UFC 333 and is stunned by the Chinese fighter's weight
Jean Silva ran into Song Yadong backstage at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi and was stunned to learn the bantamweight walks around at 77 kg to 78 kg.
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Jean Silva está em Abu Dhabi (EAU) para o UFC 333, marcado para este sábado (24), onde cumpre uma agenda de compromissos como lutador convidado do evento. Nos bastidores, o brasileiro da equipe Fighting Nerds tem se reunido e trocado experiências com outros atletas do plantel. Nenhum encontro, porém, mexeu tanto com ele quanto o que teve com Song Yadong.
Top 5 do ranking dos pesos-penas (66 kg), Jean demonstrou espanto genuíno com o tamanho do chinês, que compete uma categoria abaixo, entre os galos (61 kg). Yadong é visivelmente mais alto e tem compleição física ao menos semelhante à do brasileiro, e a cena deixou Silva claramente em choque.
O vídeo do reencontro foi compartilhado pelo empresário Victor Zhang na conta oficial dele no Instagram. Jean se posicionou lado a lado com o chinês para conferir a altura e, em seguida, quis saber quanto o colega de elenco pesa fora de competição, no chamado ‘off’. A resposta o impressionou outra vez.
Yadong contou que fica na casa dos 77 kg a 78 kg quando não está em campanha.
— “Nem f***”, rebateu um incrédulo Jean.
A diferença de categorias não esconde a semelhança de trajetória. Enquanto o brasileiro ocupa a 5ª colocação entre os penas, o chinês aparece no top 3 dos galos. Os dois são jovens, vivem grande fase e surgem como apostas para assumir, num futuro próximo, o trono das divisões até 61 kg e até 66 kg.
Resta saber se as expectativas serão cumpridas. E, caso o chinês suba de divisão, se um duelo entre os dois se tornaria, enfim, possível.
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