UFC 324: Sean O’Malley vs Song Yadong Preview & Prediction
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A title shot at 135 pounds is potentially at stake in the co-main event of the evening, with former champion Sean O'Malley taking on Chinese bruiser, Song Yadong.
Sean O’Malley vs Song Yadong facts
What time are Sean O’Malley and Song Yadong expected to walk out?
Where is UFC 324? T-Mobile Arena, Nevada, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC 324? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 324
What TV channel is UFC 324 on? UK – TNT Sports Box Office / USA – Not televised
Where can I stream UFC 324? UK – TNT Sports subscribers who have paid for the fight can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC 324: Gaethje vs Pimblett main card
Justin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett (Lightweight)
Sean O'Malley vs Song Yadong (Bantamweight)
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Derrick Lewis (Heavyweight)
Natalia Silva vs Rose Namajunas (Women’s Flyweight)
Arnold Allen vs Jean Silva (Featherweight)
UFC 324: Gaethje vs Pimblett prelims
Umar Nurmagomedov vs Deiveson Figueiredo (Bantamweight)
Ateba Gautier vs Andrey Pulyaev (Middleweight)
Nikita Krylov vs Modestas Bukauskas (Light Heavyweight)
Alex Perez vs Charles Johnson (Flyweight)
Michael Johnson vs Alexander Hernandez (Lightweight)
Josh Hokit vs Denzel Freeman (Heavyweight)
Ricky Turcios vs Cameron Smotherman (Bantamweight)
Adam Fugitt vs Ty Miller (Welterweight)
Sean O’Malley: O'Malley looks to resume "The Suga' Show" and earn a crack at newly crowned champion, Petr Yan
Former bantamweight kingpin Sean O’Malley (18-3, 1 NC) returns for his first fight since coming up short for the second time against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316. A flashy, rangy striker with one-shot KO power, O’Malley initially rocketed into title contention with an upset decision victory against current champion Petr Yan. The colorful American would go on to win the 135 pound strap with a highlight reel KO over Aljamain Sterling and defend it against Marlon Vera, before running into the aforementioned Dvalishvili. While he’s widely regarded as one of the most naturally gifted strikers in the entire promotion, O’Malley’s last two fights have justifiably raised questions over the efficacy of his grappling game.
Song Yadong: Can the Team Alpha Male standout play spoiler and earn the biggest win of his career?
A heavy handed brawler with an iron chin to match, Song Yadong (22-8-1, 1 NC) is universally touted as one of the toughest outs the bantamweight division has to offer. The Team Alpha Male representative may have consistently come up short against the upper echelon of the division throughout his career, but he's never been outclassed in doing so; it's not so long ago that he won a dominant opening round over current champion, Petr Yan. Song enters the biggest fight of his career off the back of a controversial technical decision victory over Henry Cejudo, walking away with the win after an accidental eyepoke rendered "Triple C" unable to continue.
Sean O’Malley vs Song Yadong prediction
O'Malley is undoubtedly the favorite here, but there's conceivably a path to victory where Song utilizes his wrestling to negate "Suga's" advantage on the feet. O'Malley's bouts against Merab laid bare the fact that no one has really tried to consistently ground him outside of "The Machine," raising legitimate questions as to whether the brash American's takedown defense is no more than a myth born of favorable match ups.
However, Song is decidedly not Merab. The Chinese fighter will certainly mix in his wrestling throughout his fights, but he's unquestionably a striker at heart. He's also proven susceptible to being goaded into a brawl, a state of affairs that has allowed technicians like Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen to leverage his aggression against him with great success. As such, it's easy to envision a reality where a sniper like O'Malley is able to manage range and ping him with precise counter shots across three rounds. It also doesn't hurt that the American has a considerable edge in height and reach.
Song's iron chin means that he's unlikely to end up on O'Malley's highlight reel, but unless "Suga" is proven to have absolutely non-existent takedown defense, this would appear to be his fight to lose. The American leans on his speed and accuracy to win a convincing decision and set up a highly anticipated rematch against Yan.
Prediction: Sean O'Malley to win by decision
