TLDR
- Chael Sonnen believes Song Yadong won the UFC 324 co-main event against Sean O’Malley despite the judges’ unanimous decision
- The crowd booed when O’Malley’s victory was announced, indicating disagreement with the decision
- Media outlets were split on the outcome, with 12 of 21 scoring the bout for O’Malley
- Sonnen predicted the controversial decision would not become a major headline
- O’Malley snapped a two-fight losing streak with the disputed victory
Sources: MMAWeekly | MMANews | Sherdog
MMA analyst Chael Sonnen has publicly disputed the judges’ decision at UFC 324, claiming Song Yadong should have won the co-main event against Sean O’Malley. The judges awarded O’Malley a unanimous decision victory on January 24, 2026.
Sonnen expressed his disagreement with the outcome in his post-fight analysis. He stated that he scored the fight for Song despite the official result favoring O’Malley.
Crowd Reaction Signals Disagreement
The arena crowd’s response supported Sonnen’s assessment. Fans booed loudly when the unanimous decision for O’Malley was announced, indicating widespread disagreement with the judges’ scorecards.
Sonnen acknowledged the controversial nature of the result but predicted it would not generate lasting headlines. He noted that many MMA fights have debatable outcomes that fade from public discussion quickly.
The media scoring reflected the divided opinion on the fight. According to official media scores, 12 of 21 outlets scored the bout for O’Malley, while the remaining 9 favored Song.
Despite his disagreement with the decision, Sonnen gave O’Malley credit for taking the fight. He praised O’Malley for stepping into the octagon during a difficult period in his career.
O’Malley Ends Losing Streak
The victory marked an important moment for O’Malley, who had been struggling in recent performances. He entered the Song fight on a two-fight losing streak after consecutive losses to Merab Dvalishvili.
O’Malley first lost his UFC Bantamweight Championship to Dvalishvili via unanimous decision at UFC 306 on September 14, 2024. He then faced Dvalishvili again in a championship rematch at UFC 316 on June 7, 2025, losing by submission with a north-south choke in the third round.
Sonnen acknowledged O’Malley’s effort in getting the job done despite the controversy. He emphasized the difficulty of performing after back-to-back losses at the championship level.
Song Yadong entered the fight looking to climb the bantamweight rankings. The Chinese fighter has been a consistent contender in the division, though this loss on the official record may slow his momentum.
The bout took place on the UFC 324 card as the co-main event. Neither fighter achieved a finish, with the decision going to the judges after three rounds.
Sonnen mentioned the lack of rivalry between the two fighters heading into the bout. The fight appeared to be a standard matchmaking decision rather than a personal grudge match.
O’Malley’s disputed victory improved his official record and allowed him to move forward after the difficult stretch against Dvalishvili. The 31-year-old former champion now looks to rebuild his path back toward title contention in the bantamweight division.
