Former bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley defeated Song Yadong via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) in the UFC 324 co-main event Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
O'Malley returned to the win column after dropping back-to-back fights against Merab Dvalishvili. This was his first victory in nearly two years.
Afterward, he said he wants to challenge Petr Yan for the 135-pound title in his next outing.
After two competitive rounds, O'Malley turned it up late in the third to seal the deal. He landed heavy punches and a knee in the final minute, bloodying Song's face.
O'Malley hadn't gotten his hand raised since UFC 299 in March 2024 when he put on a masterclass against Marlon "Chito" Vera in his first bantamweight title defense. O'Malley lost the belt to Dvalishvili at UFC 306 in September 2024 and then suffered a submission defeat in an immediate rematch at UFC 316 last June.
The 31-year-old now holds a 19-3 (1 NC) record as a professional.
Song, the No. 5-ranked bantamweight, suffered his first loss since facing Yan at UFC 299. The 28-year-old Chinese fighter is 1-2 in his last three Octagon appearances.
