Jimmy Robles
In the headliner of UFC Macau, the hometown favorite Song Yadong put on a dominant performance against Deiveson Figueiredo. “The Kung Fu Kid” tagged a vulnerable Figueiredo with low kicks and right hands in the second round. Looking to take the fight to the ground, Figueiredo went for a takedown, and it came with a cost. Yadong (22-9-1) locked in a guillotine choke to earn a submission victory at 4:42 of the second round.
The native of Heilongjiang, China, bounced back from a unanimous decision loss against Sean O’Malley at UFC 324 in January. With his sights set on a title shot, Yadong will need to follow up on the solid outing to get into title contention. We consider several opponents who can make ideal matchups for Yadong’s next fight.
Cory Sandhagen
“The Sandman” was completely outmatched in a wide, unanimous decision loss to then-UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 320 last October. Despite only one win in his last three fights, Cory Sandhagen remains one of the top names in the division. He is set to take on Mario Bautista in July.
Sandhagen previously met Yadong in September 2022, in what was an absolute battle. Sandhagen earned the TKO win after a doctor’s stoppage at the end of the fourth round. A rematch with Sandhagen can give Yadong a shot to avenge the defeat and continue his climb up the 135-pound rankings.
Aiemann Zahabi
The native of Laval, Quebec, Canada, is currently on a seven-fight winning streak, which dates back to 2021. In his last outing, Aiemann Zahabi overcame a knockdown in the second round to earn a split decision win over Marlon Vera last October. He will take on O’Malley on the undercard of UFC Freedom 250 on June 14. If Zahabi can pull off an upset against the former 135-pound kingpin, a matchup with Yadong appears to be a no-brainer.
Sean O’Malley
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“Suga” previously reigned as the UFC bantamweight champion from 2023 to 2024. He was dethroned for the championship title in a unanimous decision loss to Dvalishvili in September 2024. A rematch last June ended in submission defeat and a second consecutive loss at the hands of Dvalishvili.
O’Malley snapped the two-fight losing skid with a victory over Yadong in January. He has his sights set on a second meeting with the current 135-pound champion, Petr Yan. While he’ll have to get past Zahabi on June 14, a rematch with Yadong may not be far off.
Umar Nurmagomedov
In his first bid to capture UFC gold, Umar Nurmagomedov came up short in a unanimous decision loss to Dvalishvili for the 135-pound title at UFC 311 in January. He has since won two consecutive fights, against Bautista and Figueiredo. The protege of Khabib Nurmagomedov has yet to announce an official return date or opponent. However, Nurmagomedov would provide Yadong with a test at 135 pounds, as he seeks to make his case for a title shot.
