Song Yadong returns to Chinese soil on Saturday to headline UFC Fight Night in Macau on May 30, and even if he hasn’t found an opponent of his choice, former two-time flyweight champion Davison Figueredo ensures there will be no shortage of competition at the Galaxy Arena.It was in early February of this year that Yadong called out Mario Bautista for a fight in Macau. But while Yadong is still smarting from a loss to Sean O’Malley at UFC 324 in January, Bautista refused, saying he has his sights set on Cory Sandhagan.Still, ranked number eight to Yedong’s number six, he sees the clash against Figueiredo as another opportunity to strengthen his title credentials in front of the home crowd. According to the ‘Kung Fu Kid’, two more wins could put him firmly in the title picture, while this fight is also about protecting his current position.“I just need to stay in the top five and keep winning. In the UFC, if someone pulls out, you can move on, you can find yourself in a title fight next month. But before that, I have to keep winning and keep my place,” Yadong told TimesofIndia.com ahead of the fight.With a professional record of 22-9-1 and an 11-4-1 run in the UFC, Yadong has been around for a long time. Yet, at just 28 years old, he is one of the most underrated fighters in the division, still waiting to break firmly into the title picture. He fought O’Malley earlier this year and came up short, ending his push toward title contention. Interestingly, Figueiredo was also on the card and suffered a loss to Umar Nurmagomedov.That makes Saturday’s main event even more important in the bantamweight division, and Yadung isn’t underestimating the Brazilian despite his less-than-ideal transition to bantamweight.“He is a very good fighter and has a lot of experience, a former champion,” he said. “But I know what he’s going to do. Whether it’s manipulation or hitting, I’m fully prepared for anything he does.”Figueiredo, 38, presents a different kind of challenge for Yadong. With a submission game that dwarfs most of his divisional peers, he remains a legitimate threat on the mat.“I know he’s going to try to take me down,” Yadong said. “But I’m also a black belt. I can handle him. I’m sure my jiu-jitsu is better than his. It will be hard for him to take me down.”This evolution from being primarily a striker to a complete fighter is something that Yadong has worked on extensively before the O’Malley fight. Training under coach J-Flo in San Diego, he focused heavily on judo and other aspects of his ground game. Heading into this fight, though, his emphasis remains on pacing his offense.“I really focused on my offense, especially my kicking,” Yadong said. “I’ve been training Muay Thai for many years. I want to use more of my kicks in this fight.”Another aspect Yadong talked about was patience, which he admits he learned the hard way after UFC 324. The loss to O’Malley was as close as a decision could get: 29-28 on every scorecard, with nine of 21 media scorecards favoring Yadong. It wasn’t a loss that slowed him down, but it was still a loss.“In that fight, I didn’t expect him to go three rounds. He took the whole fight away, and I just couldn’t be patient enough. I needed to be more patient and push my offense first. But I learned a lot from that fight,” he admitted.However, Yadong knows exactly what he wants after working with Figueredo. If things go as planned, he wants another crack at the division’s elite, perhaps a rematch with Cory Sindhagan, who beat him in 2022.“If I win, maybe Omar [Nurmagomedov]. I haven’t fought him yet and he’s in the top five. Or Sindhagan. I know Merib is fighting for the title, so we’ll see how that goes. But honestly, after this fight I’ll fight whatever the UFC gives me. I just want to be active this year, it doesn’t matter who the opponent is,” said Yadong, who fought just once in 2024 and 2025. The Figueiredo fight will be his second this year.Beyond the fight inside the Octagon, Yadung can’t ignore the importance of returning home. It was eight years ago that he announced himself on the UFC stage with a win over India’s Bharat Kundare in Shanghai in 2017. Coming back to fight in China again, he says, is a ‘great feeling’.“It’s been eight years since I last fought in China. I’m really excited about this fight. It’s going to be something special to fight again in front of the Chinese crowd. It’s a great feeling. It’s going to be a really great feeling.”And for someone who has carried the Chinese MMA flag in the UFC for nearly a decade, does the pressure become a talking point?“For me, I don’t feel any pressure. I’ve already headlined main events, so I treat it like any other fight, stay calm, stay focused. I’m fine,” Yadong added.For a fighter who has been outspoken about his mission to become China’s first male UFC champion, a goal that coincides with Zhang Weili’s success as part of a larger ambition for Chinese MMA, Saturday represented both a homecoming and an audition.Watch UFC Fight Night – Gana vs Figueredo via live streaming on 30th May 2026 from 4:30 PM IST.
