UFC Fight Night: Song Yadong faces career-defining test against Deiveson Figueiredo in Macau
Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo headline UFC Fight Night in China, with experts favouring the younger Chinese fighter to secure a unanimous decision victory.
UFC Fight Night takes place at the Galaxy Arena in Macau, China, on Saturday, May 30, headlined by a bantamweight bout between Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo. The main event features two fighters who share a pattern of recent setbacks, having both suffered losses to reigning UFC champion Petr Yan and title challenger Cory Sandhagen in prior engagements.
Yadong, 28, enters the contest with a record of 22-9-1, including one no contest, and has expressed confidence in his trajectory toward a championship opportunity. Speaking to CBS Sports HQ, the Team Alpha Male product stated he believes he is only one or two fights away from a title shot, attributing his recent defeats to narrow point margins. He cited the experience gained from those bouts as instrumental to his development.
Figueiredo, 38, faces a more urgent timeline to re-establish himself in the division. The former flyweight champion holds the record for most knockdowns and the second most finishes at 125 pounds, but his record stands at 25-6-1. He recently lost to Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 324, while Yadong was defeated by Sean O’Malley at the same event. Figueiredo has voiced frustration regarding Yan’s recent comments referring to the headliners as his "kids," promising to "put him to sleep" in their next encounter.
International representation is prominent on the card, with three Chinese fighters competing on the main card alongside competitors from Australia, Brazil, Japan, Russia, and the United States. The lineup also features flyweight title challengers Kai Asakura and Alex Perez, as well as interim heavyweight title challenger Sergei Pavlovich.
CBS Sports experts have selected Yadong to win via unanimous decision, citing his speed, power, and youthful athleticism as decisive factors against the 38-year-old Figueiredo. Analysts note that Yadong’s corner, led by coach Urijah Faber, possesses intimate knowledge of Figueiredo’s techniques, including his guillotine choke, which may neutralise the former champion’s grappling threats. The event will be streamed on Paramount+.
