The UFC returns to Galaxy Arena in Macau this Saturday as top-10 bantamweight contenders Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo clash in a five-round main event at 135 pounds—an outcome that could decide whether both fighters stay within reach of bantamweight tit
The lights are set for the Octagon to land back at Galaxy Arena in Macau this Saturday, and for Song Yadong, the walk to the cage carries a rare kind of pressure: it’s as close to a hometown fight as the Heilongjian, China native is likely to get.
On the card, the five-round main event at 135 pounds pairs two top-10 bantamweight contenders—Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo—an encounter that could sharply redraw the picture of who’s still truly in the title mix in one of the UFC’s deepest divisions.
Song is 28 and currently No. 5 in the official UFC rankings. He’s been in the promotion since 2017 and has built an 11-4-1 record inside the Octagon, including notable UFC wins over Henry Cejudo, Marlon Moraes, and Marlon Vera.
But the uncomfortable detail for Song is that he’s never gotten the moment he’s chasing: he’s never fought for the bantamweight title. In every career stretch where he looked primed to force his way into the true elite of the weight class, the one big fight didn’t go his way.
Most recently, Song is coming off a unanimous decision loss to former champion Sean O’Malley. The rankings matter here. With O’Malley sitting at No. 2. a win would have kept Song in the top three—yet because Song lost. he isn’t lining up for what could have been a No. 1 contender fight against Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Freedom 250. Instead, Song is in Macau facing Figueiredo.
The setbacks are not limited to one opponent. Song also fell short in big fights against Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen. Against Yan, he lost via a two-rounds-to-one decision, a result that mirrored the way the O’Malley fight ended. Against Sandhagen, the bout ended in a doctor’s stoppage due to a cut.
Still, Song’s age keeps him breathing room—28 means time is on his side. A win over Figueiredo, and especially a finish, is the cleanest path back to striking distance of a title shot. A loss, however, would likely slam the door on the most realistic version of his title dream.
Figueiredo arrives with his own urgency. At 38, the former two-time UFC men’s flyweight champion can no longer make 125 pounds. He moved up to 135 pounds a few years ago and has dealt with inconsistency since arriving in bantamweight.
At bantamweight, Figueiredo is 4-3. The record at 135 pounds is sometimes viewed as misleading because he won his first three bouts in the division. then lost three of his past four. One of those more recent setbacks came in Macau late in 2024. when Figueiredo suffered a five-round decision loss to Petr Yan in a Fight Night main event.
Even with those ups and downs, Figueiredo’s résumé at 135 still points to a fighter who keeps getting into hard rooms. His most recent loss was by decision to Umar Nurmagomedov, who is widely considered to be a future UFC champion.
For Figueiredo, being ranked No. 7 in the bantamweight contender picture isn’t just a number—it’s a seat he has to protect. If he wants to keep his spot in the top 10 and keep hopes alive of becoming a two-division UFC champion. he needs to beat Song. Another loss would be a damaging setback if he’s serious about staging another run for a title.
Betting odds currently have Song as a huge favorite. and the reasons are straightforward: he’s a full decade younger. he’s fighting at home. and he’s viewed as the more well-rounded and dangerous fighter. But the reason the fight still matters is the same reason Figueiredo has survived at every step: he’s a former UFC champ for a reason. and he’s pulled off several upsets during his MMA career. That history makes it impossible to dismiss a comeback if Figueiredo finds the right opening.
There’s a bigger bantamweight story unfolding beyond this main event, too. Next month at 135 pounds. Sean O’Malley is set to take on Aiemann Zahabi at the White House card. a matchup that carries the shape of a title eliminator. O’Malley is the former champion. and if he beats Zahabi. it would likely put him right back in the thick of things for the next title shot.
Zahabi. meanwhile. is riding seven straight wins. including victories over Marlon Vera and UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo in his last two bouts. At 38, Zahabi is ranked No. 6 in the weight class. and the narrative around him is clear—he wants a title run. and an upset over O’Malley as a huge underdog would be the most direct way to call for it.
The current champion, Petr Yan, is recovering from a back injury. When he returns, the promotion is likely to book a trilogy fight against Merab Dvalishvili. Dvalishvili deserves it after defending his belt three times before losing it to Yan in a stunner at UFC 323 in December.
This weekend’s Macau card sits inside that larger rankings pressure. Former UFC flyweight title challenger Kai Asakura moves up to 135 for the first time in the Octagon when he battles Cameron Smotherman. Asakura is 0-2 in the UFC so far, but a win over Smotherman could move him into the 135-pound rankings. Asakura is a RIZIN champion at 135 pounds and has stoppage wins over former Bellator MMA champions Kyoji Horiguchi and Juan Archuleta.
As the summer approaches, No. 4 contender Cory Sandhagen is scheduled to take on No. 8 Mario Bautista at UFC 329 in July. No. 9 David Martinez is also rising in the division, as is No. 15 Farid Basharat. who takes on Ethyn Ewing at UFC 329 in what’s set up as a matchup between two top bantamweight prospects. No. 10 Payton Talbott continues to improve each time he steps into the Octagon.
And there’s movement at the other end of the picture, too. Canadian Charles Jourdain is 3-0 with three bonuses since moving down from 145 pounds. At 30. the Quebecer is in the prime of his career and on the verge of breaking into the rankings after taking out veteran Kyler Phillips at UFC Winnipeg in April.
Bantamweight has been one of the most exciting divisions for quite some time. and this moment feels like it’s peaking. With so many fighters fighting to climb—and plenty more trying to force their way into the top 15—the next wave of meaningful action starts this weekend at UFC Macau. where Song takes on Figueiredo in a featured bout that has the potential to swing both careers.
For Song, it’s about staying close to the title door. For Figueiredo, it’s about proving he still belongs in the same conversation—especially in a weight class where every loss costs more than just a ranking.
UFC Macau Song Yadong Deiveson Figueiredo UFC bantamweight Galaxy Arena Sean O'Malley Aiemann Zahabi Petr Yan Merab Dvalishvili Cory Sandhagen Mario Bautista