UFC Fight Night 233: Song vs. Gutiérrez | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Daniel Cornmeat
- May 22
- 3 min read
Introduction
UFC Fight Night 233: Song vs. Gutiérrez took place on December 9, 2023 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas — UFC Vegas 83 — and served as the final Fight Night card of 2023. The bantamweight main event featured No. 7-ranked Song Yadong against No. 15-ranked Chris Gutiérrez. The card was originally planned for Shanghai, China — what would have been the UFC’s second visit to the city — but was relocated to the Apex in November for undisclosed reasons.
Song dominated with a shutout unanimous decision (50-44, 50-45, 50-45), using leg kicks, takedowns, and control time to neutralise Gutiérrez completely. The co-main event saw Khalil Rountree Jr. spectacularly knock out Anthony Smith in the third round, inching closer to Chuck Liddell’s all-time light heavyweight knockout record and calling for a title shot against Alex Pereira. Tatsuro Taira earned his third UFC win with a second-round TKO.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, December 9, 2023 — Final Fight Night of 2023
📍 Venue: UFC Apex, Enterprise, Nevada, USA (UFC Vegas 83) | Originally planned for Shanghai, China
✅ Result: Song Yadong def. Chris Gutiérrez via Unanimous Decision (50-44, 50-45, 50-45) (Round 5, 5:00)
⭐ Notable: Originally Shanghai — relocated to Apex | Rountree KO Smith R3 (inches closer to Liddell’s LHW KO record) | Taira TKO Hernandez R2 | Haqparast TKO Mullarkey R1 | Elliott arm triangle R1 | 4 PoN, no FotN
Main Event & Key Results
Song controlled the fight from start to finish. He used devastating leg kicks to limit Gutiérrez’s movement, secured two takedowns with over 11 minutes of control time, and outstruck him 160-105 in total strikes. The scorecards were emphatic: 50-44, 50-45, 50-45 — one of the most dominant bantamweight performances of the year.
Khalil Rountree Jr. produced the highlight of the night, knocking out Anthony Smith at 0:56 of round three (PoN). Post-event facts confirmed Rountree was inching closer to Chuck Liddell’s all-time light heavyweight knockout record. He called for a title shot against Alex Pereira post-fight — a request that would eventually be granted. Nasrat Haqparast stopped Jamie Mullarkey in round one (PoN). Tim Elliott submitted Sumudaerji with an arm triangle (PoN). Park Hyun-sung also earned a PoN.
Full Results
Song Yadong def. Chris Gutiérrez — Decision (Unanimous) (Round 5) | 50-44, 50-45, 50-45 | Shutout
Khalil Rountree Jr. def. Anthony Smith — TKO R3, 0:56 (PoN); Nasrat Haqparast def. Jamie Mullarkey — TKO R1, 1:44 (PoN); Tim Elliott def. Sumudaerji — Sub (Arm Triangle) R1, 4:02 (PoN); JunYong Park def. Andre Muniz — SD R3; Tatsuro Taira def. Carlos Hernandez — TKO R2, 0:55; Steve Garcia def. Melquizael Costa — TKO R2; Park Hyun-sung (PoN)
Bonuses & Awards
🥊 Fight of the Night: No bonus awarded
🏆 Performance of the Night (4 bonuses): Khalil Rountree Jr. ($50k), Nasrat Haqparast ($50k), Tim Elliott ($50k), Park Hyun-sung ($50k)
Legacy & Impact
FN 233 closed out the 2023 Fight Night series. Song’s dominant shutout positioned him for bigger matchups in the bantamweight division. But the card’s lasting legacy belongs to Khalil Rountree Jr., whose KO of Smith launched the run that would see him challenge Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight championship at UFC 307 in October 2024 — one of the most unlikely title shots in recent memory. Tatsuro Taira’s continued rise through the flyweight division was another 2023 storyline that carried into 2024.
References
Comments