Song Yadong submits Figueiredo at UFC Macau and calls for Petr Yan rematch

Song Yadong submitted Deiveson Figueiredo with a guillotine choke in the second round of the UFC Macau main event at Galaxy Arena on Saturday, thrilling a home crowd and immediately calling out bantamweight champion Petr Yan for a rematch.

The finish made Song only the second fighter in 34 professional bouts to submit Figueiredo, a two-time flyweight champion who moved up to bantamweight for the contest. Song had entered the fight looking to rebuild momentum after a difficult stretch against the division’s elite, and the victory did exactly that.

“I’d like to fight a rematch with Petr Yan,” Song said in a post-fight interview.

The two men previously met at UFC 299 in March 2024, with Yan earning a decision win at a time when Song was riding a 5-1 run and appeared close to a title shot. That result helped spark a four-fight winning streak for Yan that culminated in him reclaiming the UFC bantamweight championship with a revenge decision over Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 323 in December 2025.

A rematch is far from certain in the near term. Yan underwent back surgery at the start of 2026, and his timeline for returning to competition remains unclear. A trilogy bout with Dvalishvili is also a possibility for his first title defence of this second reign, leaving Song to keep himself visible in the rankings in the meantime.

Song broke down his approach to facing the grappling-oriented Figueiredo, revealing that preparation went beyond his usual striking game. “My plan is stay calm and find the timing to knock him out, use my right hand,” he said. “But also I did a lot of grappling in camp.”

That preparation proved decisive. The 28-year-old was composed enough to secure the submission finish rather than forcing the knockout he had originally envisioned, and he left the cage with renewed confidence about where he stands in the division.

“I just proved myself again,” Song said. “I’m top 5, I’m the best in the world. I want to stay active. Fighting, also practice, I need to fight more and gain more experience.”