Song Yadong second UFC submission couldn’t have come at a better time.
Saturday’s UFC Macau bantamweight main event saw Song pick up a thrilling submission victory over Deiveson Figueiredo in his first fight in his home country of China since 2018. After a slow start, Song caught Figueiredo in a guillotine choke near the end of the second round and forced the two-time flyweight champion to tap out.
Watch the out-of-nowhere finish below.
Heading into the fight, Song was a heavy favorite, with the expectation that his size, youth, and striking skills would be too much for the 38-year-old Figueiredo. However, there wasn’t much striking to speak of through the opening round and the lone power punch that connected belonged to Figueiredo, who else ended the opening round in top position after Song slipped throwing a kick.
That disappointing opening five minutes made the Round 2 finish even more surprising as Song appeared to be eking out the frame on the feet before having to defend a late Figueiredo takedown attempt. Song quickly turned the tables on Figueiredo, snatching his neck and securing the submission 4:42 into the second round.
This was Song’s first submission victory since a guillotine choke win in his UFC debut in 2017 against Bharat Khandare.
Afterwards, Song credited Team Alpha Male head coach Urijah Faber and the rest of his team for sharpening his grappling skills. He was then asked who he’d like to fight next, and he made his thoughts on the subject very clear.
“I don’t give a f*ck, I take whatever you guys give me,” Song said. “Let’s go!”
Song (23-8-1, 1 NC) entered UFC Macau as the No. 7 bantamweight in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings and while beating a fading Figueiredo is unlikely to move the needle much, it keeps Song in the mix after a loss to Sean O’Malley at UFC 324. The 28-year-old can now claim victories over former UFC champions Figueiredo and Henry Cejudo, as well as former WSOF champion Marlon Moraes.
As for Figueiredo (25-7-1), he has now lost four of his past five fights at 135 pounds after a promising start in the division and what remains of his championship hopes are hanging by a thread.
