Two fighters made serious statements at UFC Fight Night in Macau on Saturday — and both have their eyes firmly on championship gold. Song Yadong submitted Deiveson Figueiredo in the second round to extend his run of wins over former champions, while Sergei Pavlovich demolished Tallison Teixeira in 39 seconds and immediately called for a heavyweight title shot.
For Song, the night carried weight beyond the result. He was fighting in China for the first time since 2018 — returning to the country where 18 of his first 20 professional fights took place, in front of a crowd that has waited eight years for his return. “It has been eight years for me to wait for this moment,” he said after the fight, taking his time to absorb every second of it.
Song Yadong’s Submission and What It Means
The fight itself was patient in the opening round. Neither man reached double figures in significant strikes in the first five minutes, with Figueiredo going zero for two on takedown attempts. The pace picked up in Round 2 with Song stalking his opponent and landing measured punches and kicks. When Figueiredo attempted a takedown in response to a leg kick late in the round, Song clamped on a guillotine choke and forced the tap at four minutes and 42 seconds.
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It was Song’s fourth consecutive fight against a former champion — he previously beat Henry Cejudo, lost to Sean O’Malley, and lost to Petr Yan before this victory over the two-time flyweight champion Figueiredo. The 28-year-old is ranked sixth at bantamweight by ESPN. When asked who he wanted to fight next, he kept it simple. “I don’t give a f—. I take whoever UFC give me. Let’s go!” The crowd roared.
Figueiredo, 38, has now lost four of his last five fights after winning three in a row when he moved up to bantamweight.
Pavlovich’s 39-Second Statement
Earlier on the card, Sergei Pavlovich served notice that his heavyweight title ambitions have not dimmed. He connected with three consecutive overhand right hands in the opening seconds of his bout against Tallison Teixeira, ending the fight at 39 seconds. It was Pavlovich’s third straight victory and arguably his most emphatic performance since his title shot against Tom Aspinall in 2023.
With Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira set to fight for the heavyweight title in two weeks, Pavlovich made his position clear through his interpreter. “It doesn’t matter to me who wins. I want to get the winner. I work hard. I work every single day. I want the belt.”
Teixeira has now lost two of his last three fights after beginning his UFC career with an 8-0 record.
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