TLDR
- Sean O’Malley faces Song Yadong in the UFC 324 co-main event Saturday in Las Vegas as a -205 favorite
- O’Malley is seeking his first win in almost two years after back-to-back losses to Merab Dvalishvili
- Pro fighters slightly favor O’Malley, with three picking him to win and two selecting Yadong
- O’Malley holds height and reach advantages and lands more strikes per minute with better accuracy
- Song Yadong is coming off a unanimous decision win over former champion Henry Cejudo in February 2024
Sources: BJPenn.com | SportyTrader | CBS Sports
Professional fighters are weighing in on the UFC 324 co-main event between Sean O’Malley and Song Yadong this Saturday in Las Vegas. The bantamweight clash features O’Malley as a -205 favorite against Yadong, who enters as a +170 underdog.
O’Malley is looking to bounce back after losing back-to-back fights to Merab Dvalishvili in 2024 and 2025. He lost the UFC bantamweight championship to Dvalishvili by unanimous decision at UFC 306 in September 2024, then was submitted in the third round of their rematch at UFC 316 in June.
Between those two fights, O’Malley underwent surgery for a torn labrum in his left hip. He later admitted regretting the quick turnaround for the rematch while still recovering.
“I would have not taken the second Merab fight,” O’Malley told Paramount. “Merab was out there beating Umar [Nurmagomedov] in January, and I was doing physical therapy.”
Fighter Predictions Lean Toward O’Malley
UFC light heavyweight Modestas Bukauskas believes O’Malley will experience a resurgence. “I think he’s motivated to put on a show and prove he’s still that guy, so I think he will get it done here,” Bukauskas said.
UFC welterweight Adam Fugitt saw O’Malley’s training camp firsthand. “I’ve seen him train for this camp, and he’s firing on all cylinders, and I think he’s the better striker than Song,” Fugitt explained.
🚨BREAKING: Sean O’Malley vs Song Yadong is Officially in the works to Co-Main #UFC323 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on December 6th. pic.twitter.com/5bV2aqqJij
— Octagon Pulse | UFC MEDIA🚨 (@OctagonPulse) October 9, 2025
UFC bantamweight Mario Bautista also favors O’Malley. “Sean is a sniper, and although Song Yadong is great, Sean is just a better striker, and I see him winning that fight,” Bautista said.
However, not all fighters are convinced. UFC light heavyweight Dustin Jacoby picks Song to win.
“I like Song Yadong. His striking is legit, and I think in three rounds he can have success against Sean,” Jacoby said.
UFC strawweight Gillian Robertson also leans toward Yadong. “Both are high-level strikers, but I think Song will be able to edge out a decision,” Robertson predicted.
The Physical Advantages
O’Malley holds clear physical advantages in this matchup. He stands 1.8 meters tall with a 1.83-meter reach, while Yadong measures 1.73 meters tall with a 1.7-meter reach.
O’Malley lands 6.30 strikes per minute with 61.73% accuracy. Yadong lands 4.58 strikes per minute with 49.79% accuracy.
Yadong is coming off a unanimous decision victory over former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo in February 2024. That win marked his return to form after losses to top contenders Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen.
The 31-year-old Chinese fighter has nine knockout wins and seven first-round finishes across his career. He carries a professional record of 22-8-1 and has gone 11-3-1 inside the UFC octagon.
O’Malley acknowledged that Yadong wasn’t the easiest opponent but accepted the matchup regardless. “This didn’t take the easiest fight for the most amount of money [route],” O’Malley said. “Song wasn’t the easiest fight, but you don’t always get to pick your fight.”
O’Malley enters the bout with an 18-3 professional record. Before his two losses to Dvalishvili, he had won six straight fights, including a knockout victory over Aljamain Sterling to win the bantamweight title and a successful defense against Marlon Vera at UFC 299.
The fight takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. O’Malley believes a victory will place him among the top contenders in the UFC based on name recognition and recent competition against elite fighters.
