In the initial quarter of 2026, Song Yadong engaged in a fiercely disputed match with Sean O’Malley, ultimately falling short. However, a previous adversary of the Chinese fighter believed Yadong deserved the victory against ‘Suga’ at UFC 324.
The aforementioned mixed martial artist is Julio Arce, who commented on the Yadong-O’Malley confrontation leading up to his own contest at PFL Pittsburgh against Alexei Pergande on March 28th. Arce previously faced Song Yadong in the UFC Octagon in November 2021, an encounter where Arce was defeated by Yadong. When reflecting on Yadong’s recent fight against Sean O’Malley on January 24th, Arce stated, as reported by Bowks Talking Bouts,
“From my perspective, I felt that Song [Yadong] secured that win. It was, indeed, extremely close. Very close. I believed Song emerged victorious from that fight, but then again, the outcome rests with the officials. Who can say? They might perceive it in one manner, while others view it differently. But I thought Song had that fight, and, you know, it seems he’s somewhat back to the drawing board. Still, he’s reached; he’s what? A top 10 competitor. He’s formidable.”
Song Yadong gears up for UFC Macau main event opposite former UFC titleholder
Song Yadong is set to play a prominent role in the UFC’s forthcoming series of events at Galaxy Arena in Macau, where the fifth-ranked contender will square off against the seventh-ranked bantamweight contender, who previously held a championship belt in the UFC.
Yadong will aim to deliver a strong performance as the local favorite and reverse his competitive fortunes for the current year when he takes on Deiveson Figueiredo. The encounter between Yadong and Figueiredo is scheduled for May 30th, concluding a trio of events for the organization spanning three consecutive days.
The preceding two days will feature Road to UFC live broadcasts originating from the same venue as the Saturday UFC Fight Night event, with the fifth season of Road to UFC commencing on May 28th and May 29th.
