Chris Gutierrez reveals he’s “scared shitless” about fighting Song Yadong at UFC Vegas 83

By Cole Shelton - December 6, 2023

Chris Gutierrez says he is scared to fight and is afraid of his upcoming fight against Song Yadong in the main event of UFC Vegas 83 on Saturday.

Chris Gutierrez

Gutierrez is set for his first UFC main event against the seventh-ranked bantamweight contender in Yadong. It’s a crucial fight for the division as the winner will likely get a top-five opponent next. Although Gutierrez has full confidence in himself that he will get the win, he admits he is scared to fight Yadong. But, it isn’t just Yadong as he is scared whenever he fights.

“Who says I’m not scared? Man, that’s the biggest bullshit, people, maybe I can’t speak for everybody, but I’m scared shitless. That’s just the reality, right? You are putting yourself in a very vulnerable position. You are going out there to fight half-naked in front of millions of people,” Chris Gutierrez said at UFC Vegas 83 media day. “Unfortunately, we live in a world where people are waiting for your downfall, and everyone has an opinion of you. So, we are putting ourselves in a very vulnerable position. So to say you are not afraid is I think you trying to mask something. Accept it.

“The difference is, I know who I am as a person, I know where I come from. I know the task at hand, and I know what I’m here to do. I know the goal that I’m after (and) where I want to be in life and this is just another opportunity to get there. It’s a tough task but it’s a tough one for him, too,” Gutierrez continued.

What Chris Gutierrez said about being scared to fight is not something many fighters speak about publicly. But, Gutierrez says dealing with the nerves and being scared is something most fighters deal. He also believes it should be something that is talked about more often.

Gutierrez is currently a +310 underdog while Song Yadong is a -395 favorite to get his hand raised at UFC Vegas 83. Even though Gutierrez is a sizeable underdog, he has full confidence in himself that he can pull off the upset.

Chris Gutierrez enters his UFC Vegas 83 main event against Song Yadong coming off a decision win over Alatengheili back in October. That victory got him back in the win column after a decision loss to Pedro Munhoz. Gutierrez is currently ranked 15th at bantamweight and is 8-2-1 in the UFC and 20-5-2 overall. In the UFC, Gutierrez holds notable wins over Frankie Edgar, Andre Ewell, and Danaa Batgerel among others.


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Chris Gutierrez Song Yadong UFC