Song Yadong defeated Deiveson Figueiredo by choke in the UFC main event in Macau
Song Yadong earned one of the most important victories of his career by defeating Deiveson Figueiredo in the main event of the UFC Fight Night event held on May 30, 2026, at Galaxy Arena in Macau. The Chinese fighter beat the Brazilian by stoppage in the second round after locking in a tight guillotine choke and forcing the former UFC flyweight champion to submit. According to the results published by MMA Fighting and CBS Sports, the finish was officially recorded at 4:42 of the second round. The fight was held in the bantamweight division and carried significant competitive importance because both fighters were trying to remain among the candidates near the top of the rankings. For Song, it was an especially important evening also because he once again competed in front of an audience in China, in a fight that headlined the UFC’s return to Macau.
The UFC promoted the event as UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Figueiredo, with a bantamweight main event and a co-main program that included several well-known names from the promotion. According to the organization’s official announcement, the event was held at Galaxy Arena in a special time slot adapted for the American broadcast, while local fans in Macau were given a rare opportunity to watch a major UFC event live. According to ESPN’s fight calendar, the event location was listed as Galaxy Arena in the Cotai area of the Macau Special Administrative Region. The UFC was returning to Macau after earlier events in that region, and the Song vs. Figueiredo fight itself represented one of the promotion’s most important Asian appearances in 2026.
Figueiredo started better, Song reversed the rhythm
The beginning of the fight was cautious and tactical, without longer exchanges and without a quick move into an open battle. According to the CBS Sports report, the first round was marked by testing the distance, searching for the right moment to attack and Song’s gradual introduction of low kicks as one of his main weapons. Figueiredo, according to MMA Fighting’s description, had several more effective moments in the first round, including a stronger strike and the end of the round in top position after Song slipped while attempting a kick. That part of the fight showed that the Brazilian, despite weaker results in the recent period, still had enough experience and explosiveness to punish every mistake. Still, the tempo of the first round did not suggest that the finish would come so quickly and in a way less commonly expected from Song.
In the second round, the Chinese fighter gradually took over the initiative. According to CBS Sports, Song continued attacking his opponent’s leg and then began adding his right hand more frequently, forcing Figueiredo to adjust his stance. The damage from the leg kicks was visible through reduced stability and the Brazilian’s need to switch guards, while Song defended takedown attempts better and used his physical advantage in the clinch and in defending entries. Near the end of the second round, Figueiredo tried to find a solution with a takedown, but that very attempt opened the space for the decisive moment of the fight. Song quickly closed the choke, locked in the guillotine and forced his opponent to tap just a few seconds before the round expired.
The guillotine as an unexpected but convincing finish
The finish was surprising because Song is most often described as a fighter whose biggest assets are speed, power, explosive boxing and takedown defense. MMA Fighting noted that this was his second submission victory in the UFC and his first such win since his 2017 debut, when he defeated Bharat Khandare by choke. That is precisely why the way he beat Figueiredo carried additional weight: Song did not merely confirm his striking quality, but also showed that he can finish a fight in situations in which the opponent himself seeks a grappling exchange. After the match, he thanked his team and coaches, including Team Alpha Male and Urijah Faber, to whom he credited his progress in the grappling portion of the fight. Such a statement fits into the broader picture of his development, because from a young striking talent he is gradually trying to establish himself as a more complete candidate for the very top of the bantamweight division.
The victory came for Song at the right time. According to CBS Sports, he entered Macau after a loss to Sean O’Malley in January 2026, so against Figueiredo he had to avoid a second consecutive major setback. MMA Fighting listed him ahead of the event as the seventh-ranked fighter in that outlet’s world bantamweight rankings, while some reports from fight week cited different rankings in official or media lists, which is common because of different ranking systems. Regardless of the exact number next to his name, Song remained with the victory in the group of fighters who can seek the next major match against someone from the top of the division. After the fight, according to MMA Fighting and CBS Sports, he said he would accept the opponent the UFC offers him, thereby avoiding directly calling out a specific name.
What the victory means for the bantamweight division
The bantamweight division has in recent years been one of the deepest divisions in the UFC, with a large number of fighters who are one or two wins away from challenger status within a short span. Song had already recorded notable victories over names such as Marlon Moraes, Ricky Simon, Henry Cejudo and Marlon Vera, but losses to top fighters, including Cory Sandhagen, Petr Yan and Sean O’Malley, had stopped him at moments when he needed to make the final breakthrough. The win over Figueiredo does not have to automatically bring him to a title fight, but it puts him back into the conversation about major matches in the upper part of the division. It is especially important that he won by stoppage, because convincing finishes in main events often carry greater promotional weight than narrow decisions. In addition, the victory in front of an audience in China gives the UFC an additional story if the organization continues building events in the Asian market.
For Figueiredo, the loss is much more difficult. The Brazilian fighter remains one of the most significant names in the recent history of the flyweight division, in which he twice held the UFC championship title. After moving to the bantamweight division he had a good start, but the results then worsened, and MMA Fighting stated after the fight that he had lost four of his last five appearances in that division. Figueiredo is still dangerous because of his power, experience, counters and ground game, but at the age of 38 it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain consistency against younger and physically larger fighters at 135 pounds. A stoppage loss, especially in a fight in which a takedown attempt ended as the trigger for the opponent’s choke, will raise questions about his further direction. It has not currently been officially confirmed whether Figueiredo will remain in the bantamweight division, seek a different type of opponent or consider a longer break.
The co-main fight and the rest of the main card
In the evening’s co-main fight, Alonzo Menifield defeated Zhang Mingyang by technical knockout in the first round. According to MMA Fighting’s results, the stoppage came at 4:15 of the first round after strikes, thereby spoiling the Chinese fighter’s appearance in front of the home crowd. The fight carried importance in the light heavyweight division because both men were trying to stabilize their form after earlier losses, and the quick stoppage gave Menifield the needed return to winning ways. Zhang, on the other hand, was left without the opportunity to use the big stage in Macau and continue the rise he had built through earlier performances. For the UFC, that outcome meant that one of the most prominent Chinese fighters on the main card ended the evening with a loss, although the main event ultimately still brought celebration to the home crowd through Song.
The heavyweight bout produced one of the fastest finishes of the evening. Sergei Pavlovich knocked out Tallison Teixeira after only 39 seconds of the first round, according to the official results published by MMA Fighting. Pavlovich thereby reminded everyone of his devastating striking power and remained relevant in the heavyweight division, where a single knockout can quickly return a fighter to the broader discussion about the top of the division. Kai Asakura also scored an impressive stoppage, knocking out Cameron Smotherman with strikes in the first round after 1:50. Jake Matthews defeated Carlston Harris by unanimous decision, with scorecards of 30-25, 30-27 and 30-27, showing that he controlled most of the match and clearly imposed himself in the only main-card fight that went to the judges’ decision.
One of the more unusual moments of the main card was the match between Alex Perez and Sumudaerji, which ended without a winner. According to MMA Fighting, the fight was declared a no contest in the second round after an accidental groin strike, at 1:45 of the second round. Such finishes in MMA always leave a certain sporting incompleteness because they do not provide a clear answer about who was the better fighter that evening. Perez and Sumudaerji therefore did not get a result that would significantly help them in the standings, and the decision on a possible rematch will depend on the UFC’s planning and the fighters’ health. In the context of the whole event, that moment was an exception on a card that otherwise featured many early stoppages and clear outcomes.
The preliminary card brought a string of finishes
The preliminary portion of the event also offered several finishes before the time limit expired. According to MMA Fighting’s results, Luis Felipe Dias defeated Yi Saka Lee by technical knockout in the first round, while Cody Haddon stopped Aoriqileng by technical knockout in the second round. Rei Tsuruya finished Luis Gurule with a rear-naked choke in the first round, and Jaqueline Amorim defeated Loma Lookboonmee with an armbar at the end of the first round. Rodrigo Vera knocked out Zhu Kangjie with strikes after 1:50 of the first round, recording one of the more striking early stoppages on the opening portion of the card. Such a sequence of results gave the event a strong tempo before the main card and further emphasized the fact that the evening in Macau was marked by finishes rather than tactical fights on points.
Angela Hill also stood out on the opening portion of the card, defeating Xiong Jing Nan by unanimous decision with a score of 30-27 on all three cards, according to the published results. Xiong is known as a former ONE Championship champion, so her appearance attracted additional attention in the Asian context, but Hill used her experience and steady rhythm to earn a clear victory. José Souza defeated Ding Meng by split decision, in one of the rare fights of the evening that remained close on the scorecards until the end. The preliminary card also showed the UFC’s intention to combine international names in Macau with fighters who have regional recognition. Such an approach is common for events outside North America because local appearances often help strengthen interest in the promotion in a particular market.
Macau as an important stop on the UFC’s Asian calendar
Macau is significant for the UFC because it is located in a market the organization has been trying to develop for years through events, local talent and Asian media arrangements. According to the UFC’s announcement of the event, Song vs. Figueiredo was part of a broader fight week in Macau, and the main fight itself was built around Song as the most recognizable Chinese representative on the card. In a sporting sense, the UFC got a finish that can easily be used in further promotion because the home fighter defeated a former champion in the main event and did so with an attractive stoppage. In a business sense, such an outcome helps strengthen local interest, although the actual effect on future events depends on viewership, ticket sales and the organization’s plans. The UFC has not yet officially confirmed the next major event in Macau after this card.
Song’s victory simultaneously has sporting and promotional value. From a sporting perspective, it showed that after the loss to O’Malley he had not lost his place among the relevant fighters in the bantamweight division. Promotionally, the UFC gained a winner who can carry future events in China or other Asian markets, especially if his next appearance is against an opponent from the very top. Still, the road to the title remains demanding because the bantamweight division has many fighters with strong arguments for major matches. For Figueiredo, a former champion and one of the most successful fighters in the flyweight division, the loss in Macau further narrows the path back toward challenger status. The evening at Galaxy Arena therefore ended as a turning point for both men: Song gained new momentum, while Figueiredo faced one of the toughest questions of the late stage of his career.
Sources: - UFC – official announcement of the UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Figueiredo event at Galaxy Arena in Macau (link) - UFC – announcement of the UFC’s return to Macau and basic information about fight week (link) - MMA Fighting – report on Song Yadong’s victory over Deiveson Figueiredo and description of the fight’s finish (link) - MMA Fighting – complete results of the UFC Macau: Song vs. Figueiredo event (link) - CBS Sports – report and analysis of the UFC Fight Night main event in Macau (link) - ESPN – calendar and location details for the UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Figueiredo event (link)