Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo fight to keep their bantamweight ambitions alive. Both men hover just outside the elite after UFC 324 in January. After Saturday's UFC Fight Night main event in China, only one of them will forge ahead on the desired path.
Yadong (22-9-1, 1 NC) believers keep waiting for a breakthrough. The Team Alpha Male product has all the raw materials, but has fallen short against the very best. Yadong, 28, still has time to evolve into a title challenger, but it's paramount that he taps into his true potential. He's fighting a former champion in the main event on home turf. Everything lines up for a standout performance from the significant betting favorite. He must deliver.
"I am very close to these guys," Song told CBS Sports HQ's Brian Campbell on Tuesday. "I lost because of small points. I could have won the fight, each one, even the Petr Yan [fight]. I could have. But I learned a lot of experience from those fights. I believe I will get back soon and am only one or two fights away from a title shot."
Sign up for Paramount+ and watch UFC Fight Night: Yadong vs. Figueiredo live for no additional fee -- every UFC numbered event and UFC Fight Night is included with your subscription! Plans start as low as $8.99/month or $89.99/year!
Figueiredo (25-6-1) has a shorter window to break through at 38. He is very active, but running out of time to win a second division title. He and Yadong, 10 years his junior, share similar recent losses. They've both been defeated by reigning UFC champion Petr Yan and title challenger Cory Sandhagen. At UFC 324, Figueiredo lost to top contender Umar Nurmagomedov, and former champ O'Malley felled Yadong. Saturday's headliners are in the same position, but Figueiredo has time working against him. He prepares not only with eagerness, but also with anger after Yan recently referred to Saturday's headliners as his "kids."
"Petr Yan is a son of a bitch. He keeps saying that stuff," Figueiredo told CBS Sports through a Portuguese interpreter. "In our first fight, I made him sit down. In the next fight, I'll put him to sleep."
The card is packed with international flavor. Three Chinese fighters compete on the main card with representation from Australia, Brazil, Japan, Russia and the United States. Three of those fighters have competed at the highest level: flyweight title challengers Kai Asakura and Alex Perez, and interim heavyweight title challenger Sergei Pavlovich.
Let's take a look at the rest of the fight card with the latest odds from DraftKings before getting to a prediction and expert pick on the main event below.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
FavoriteUnderdogWeightclassSong Yadong -600
Deiveson Figueiredo +440
Bantamweight
Zhang Mingyang -258
Alonzo Menifield +210
Light Heavyweight
Sergei Pavlovich -625
Tallison Teixeira +455
Heavyweight
Kai Asakura -310Cameron Smotherman +250BantamweightJake Matthews -325Carlston Harris +260WelterweightAlex Perez -142Sumudaerji +120FlyweightUFC Fight Night viewing information
Date: Saturday, May 30 | Start time: 7 a.m. ET (Main card) | 4 a.m. ET (Preliminary card) Location: Galaxy Arena -- Macau, China TV Channel: | Stream: Paramount+ (subscribe now for as low as $8.99 per month)
Prediction
Song Yadong vs. Deiveson Figueiredo: Yadong believes he wields the speed and power advantage. I agree. Figueiredo coined himself "The God of War" with grizzly stoppages in the flyweight division. He holds the record for most knockdowns and the second most finishes at 125 pounds. However, diminishing size and age have muted his pop at bantamweight. Figueiredo will struggle most at boxing range, but that's one of many issues. Figueiredo used to train with Team Alpha Male, his opponent's team. Yadong's corner knows Figueiredo's game intricately. The guillotine is among Figueiredo's best weapons, but few martial arts minds know the choke better than Yadong's coach, Urijah Faber. Yadong's maturing, well-rounded game and youthful athleticism are too much for a declining former flyweight champ. I give Figueiredo enough credit to last 25 minutes, but don't rule out a knockout loss. Either way, it feels like this is Figueiredo's last stand as a potential major player. Pick: Yadong via unanimous decision
Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments
