Song Yadong Saves China’s Honor at UFC Macau to Stop Losing Run by Finishing Deiveson Figueiredo

Song Yadong catches Deiveson Figueiredo with a nasty but quick guillotine at UFC Macau to get back into the win column.

Song Yadong Saves China’s Honor at UFC Macau to Stop Losing Run by Finishing Deiveson Figueiredo

Song Yadong submits Deivesion Figueiredo (via MMA Mania, X)

In Short
  • Song Yadong defeated Deiveson Figueiredo by submission in the second round at UFC Macau.
  • The victory marked a significant turnaround for Yadong after two previous losses in his career.
  • Yadong's win is expected to improve his bantamweight ranking and restore pride for Chinese fighters at the event.

UFC Macau appeared set to end on a disappointing note for the home crowd after several Chinese fighters suffered setbacks throughout the card. However, Song Yadong prevented a complete sweep of losses by delivering a dominant performance in the main event. The bantamweight contender defeated former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo with a second-round submission.

The opening round was a cautious affair, with both fighters spending long stretches reading each other and waiting to counter. Yadong landed several low kicks and a right hand, while Figueiredo answered with a hard body kick and right hand. Yadong initially defended Figueiredo’s takedown attempts before slipping on a high kick. The Brazilian capitalized on the mistake and finished the round in top position.

The fight shifted in the second round as Yadong found success with his boxing and increased forward pressure. ‘Figgy’ looked to close the distance and initiate another grappling exchange, but the move backfired. Yadong quickly locked in a guillotine choke, tightened his grip, and secured the submission at 4:42 of Round 2. The finish completed an impressive turnaround after a largely tactical opening frame.

The victory returned Yadong to the win column after two difficult results. Before UFC Macau, he suffered a unanimous decision loss to former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley at UFC 324. Prior to that, his fight against Henry Cejudo ended in controversy after an accidental eye poke left the UFC veteran unable to continue. The bout was ruled a technical decision win for Song, sparking debate around the outcome.

This was not the first time ‘The Kung Fu Kid’ defended his country on a major platform. The Chinese bantamweight previously criticized UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland after he made demeaning remarks about Chinese people. Strickland made negative stereotypes about the country. Yadong publicly condemned the comments and described them as discriminatory toward Chinese people.

For Song Yadong, the victory is likely to improve his position from No. 5 in the bantamweight rankings. Meanwhile, Deiveson Figueiredo suffered a second straight loss after falling to Umar Nurmagomedov in his previous outing. At 38 years old, the former flyweight champion may now face retirement questions. UFC Macau ultimately ended on a high note for the home crowd thanks to Yadong’s main-event triumph.

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Song Yadong believes he would have defeated Sean O’Malley if their fight were five rounds

Despite back-to-back title-fight losses to Merab Dvalishvili, Sean O’Malley remains one of the UFC’s biggest stars. He reinforced that status at UFC 324 by defeating Song Yadong via unanimous decision in a key bantamweight matchup. The victory lifted the former bantamweight champion to remain in title contention.

Sean O'Malley vs Song Yadong at UFC 324
Sean O’Malley vs Song Yadong at UFC 324 (via X)

The fight remained competitive despite O’Malley earning a unanimous decision victory at UFC 324. The Chinese bantamweight found success with leg kicks, pressure, and takedowns, while O’Malley responded with cleaner striking exchanges. The close nature of the contest recently prompted Yadong to argue that a five-round fight would have given him enough time to secure a stoppage.

I really wanted to win that one, but I was impatient and lost control. If this fight were 5 rounds, I would find the timing to knock him out.

Song Yadong via Full Send MMA

‘Suga’ is now preparing for a clash with Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Freedom 250. Another victory would further strengthen his position among the division’s leading contenders and extend his winning momentum. A rematch with Song Yadong could also gain traction following the Chinese star’s impressive victory over Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Macau, potentially setting up another bantamweight showdown.

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