The UFC returns to Seattle for the first time in more than a decade with Saturday night's event at Climate Pledge Arena.
UFC 313's main card features a bantamweight fight between top-10 challengers Henry Cejudo and China's Song Yadong that holds significant ramifications in the 135-pound weight class.
Cejudo, 38, arrives in Seattle looking to snap a two-fight losing streak, with the former champ most recently suffering defeat to current champ Merab Dvalishvili. That followed a split decision loss in a 2023 title fight against Aljamain Sterling.
It has been a difficult return to the Octagon after a three-year break for the former two-time UFC champion and Olympic gold medalist.
"I mean, nobody wants to make ‘the greatest comeback of all time' and you're f–ing 0-2, but it's part of the game," Cejudo said this week, per UFC.com.
"There is always a 50 per cent chance you may lose, particularly in this sport, and it's humbling. It's a lot of different emotions, but it's also motivating."
Cejudo (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) now faces a critical test against Song (21-8-1, 10-3-1) as he attempts to re-establish himself as a title contender. It won't be an easy task against the 27-year-old who has won five of his past seven fights. The two defeats have come to Cory Sandhagen and Petr Yan, preventing Song from climbing further up the ranks.
Beginning his eighth year in the promotion already, Yadong will step into the Octagon for the first time in 11 months, when he lost a decision to Yan. A hoped-for November fight in Macau didn't materialize.
"For me, it's hard to spend the time (not fighting)," Song told reporters this week. "My opponent got injured, it was not the right time. The UFC wanted me to fight in Macau, but no one wanted to fight me over there.
"This week is what I want: I want to fight Henry and I'm not thinking about (last year too much), but it was hard."
Yadong is actually the -275 favourite, where he has been backed by 62 per cent of the money since opening at -250. Cejudo has trended in the opposite direction, although he has drawn 78 per cent of the total bets while shifting from +200 to +220.
"Everything is at stake, man," Cejudo said. "In every single fight that you compete in, everything is always at stake because people always recognise you according to your last fight. Your last fight is what defines you, typically, so there is so much at stake ..."
OTHER MAIN CARD MATCHES
BRENDAN ALLEN (24-6, 12-3) v ANTHONY HERNANDEZ (13-2, 7-2)
The co-main event is a middleweight fight that is a rematch of a fight Hernandez won under the LFA banner seven years ago.
That helped launch him into the second season of Dana White's Contender Series and ultimately the UFC, where he started 1-2 before compiling his current six-fight win streak. Hernandez barely made weight on Friday, stepping on the scale in only a towel with four minutes remaining.
Allen, 29, is higher in the rankings than Hernandez at No 9. He is coming off a decision loss to Nassourdine Imavov in Paris that snapped a seven-fight win streak.
Hernandez has been backed by 86 per cent of the money at -325, while Allen has drawn 70 per cent of the bets at +260.
JEAN SILVA (14-2, 3-0) v MELSIK BAGHDASARYAN (8-2, 3-1)
The featherweight division serves up this intriguing matchup.
Silva recorded three finishes in three victories last year, including earning Fight of the Night in beating Drew Dober in July to run his win streak to 11. Baghdasaryan began his UFC career with three wins in four fights, although it has taken the 33-year-old four years to compile that mark due to injuries and opponent withdrawals.
Silva is the heaviest favourite on the main card at -550 while being supported by 79 per cent of the money. Baghdasaryan has drawn 79 per cent of the total bets as the +400 underdog.
ROB FONT (21-8, 11-7) v JEAN MATSUMOTO (16-0, 2-0)
Matsumoto stepped in on short notice for the injured Dominick Cruz. The 25-year-old has won each of his first two UFC fights since emerging from the DWCS in 2023. He has climbed the ranks to No 10 and can rise further with a win over the 37-year-old Font.
Font is coming off a unanimous decision win over Kyler Phillips to snap a two-fight skid, and enters Saturday ranked No 15.
The money wagered on the fight has been split, with Font garnering 67 per cent of the total bets at +135 to beat Matsumoto (-160).
ALONZO MENIFIELD (15-5-1, 8-5-1) v JULIUS WALKER (6-0, 0-0)
Menifield, 37, is looking to regain momentum after dropping a pair of fights to Carlos Ulberg and Azamat Murzakanov. Another former DWCS fighter, Menifield had served notice by going 4-0-1 in five fights before that.
Meanwhile, the 25-year-old Walker enters undefeated at 6-0. That includes finishing all four of his victories last year.
Menifield opened as the -200 favourite, but those odds have extended to -250 while drawing 62 per cent of the money. Walker has been backed by 61 per cent of the total bets at +200.