Sean O'Malley vs Song Yadong fight prediction

Due to the cancellation of the women's title fight at UFC 324, former champion Sean O'Malley and his Chinese counterpart, Song Yadong, will take the co-main event spot on this card. Their fight on January 25th could likely determine another contender, and now we'll have to figure out whose chances of success are higher.

• Sean O'Malley vs Song Yadong;
• Sean O'Malley;
• Song Yadong;
• Comparative analysis;
• Game Totals Prediction.

Sean O'Malley vs Song Yadong

Sean O'Malley

Sean rounds out the top three in the division. He hasn't fought since last summer, adding a second loss to Dvalishvili, but he has won fights against Vera, Sterling, and Petr Yan.

In addition to the UFC championship, he also holds a brown belt in jiu-jitsu, has collected 8 bonuses, and two more titles from the amateur leagues FFL and ICF.

Strengths

O'Malley is a brilliant counter-striker, with near-perfect timing, keen reflexes, and a keen sense of rhythm. He has a devastating right hand and a decent arsenal of kicks, which, by moving and controlling distance, allows him to draw opponents toward him and drain their energy. Unless it's Dvalishvili, he also defends takedowns well.

Weaknesses

The only obvious problem "Sugar" has is that he struggles against pressure fighters who aren't afraid to get in close, take punches, and take away his cage space. Without him, Sean isn't as dangerous.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

O'Malley is 31 years old and has his sights set on a fight with the champion again. He's young, has a wealth of experience, but still struggles with his ground game. Right now, he has an opportunity to reassert himself, and the American is ready to take his chance.

Song Yadong

"Kung Fu Kid" didn't win his fight with Petr Yan, but he stopped Henry Cejudo and soared to No. 5 in the rankings. Wushu Sanshou (Henan Provincial Champion) and Muay Thai are Song's core strengths, but he's also focusing on wrestling, complementing it with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), even if it's not perfect. He's also amassed a solid collection of UFC bonuses—six in total.

Strengths

Yadong isn't the most feared finisher in the division, but he can strike with both hands. Against top-15 fighters, he can mix styles and wrestle, but he only submits occasionally. Against the rest, he works stand-up, where he generates a lot of attacks at medium-close range, relying on quick inbounds, a series of punches, and retreats.

Weaknesses

Song has one problem: when he can't take a breach with technique, he resorts to pure strength, which weakens his defense. And even among the top fighters, he's only been able to wrestle with a select few, and he's yet to achieve any significant success with his striking.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

The athlete is only 28 years old and has suffered a couple of losses in his last five fights, but overall, he looks confident and is ready to stake his claim to the championship. There is talk of active groundwork in his camp, so it's possible Yadong will seek victory through the horizontal position.

Comparative analysis

Starting with the anthropometric analysis, we see a significant advantage for O'Malley in both reach (over 12 cm) and height. This will play into his hands, given his chosen fighting style, meaning Song will have an even harder time than usual capitalizing on close-quarters attacks, where his defense is sure to be penetrated by "Sugar"'s cutting strikes.

Yadong will apply pressure, but it's unlikely he'll be able to do so for all three rounds without taking massive damage and encountering kicks that will dampen the Chinese fighter's spirit. What about wrestling? Regardless of how you look at it, "Kung Fu Kid" isn't even close to Dvalishvili's takedowns, their frequency, or quality, so if Sean does end up on the ground, he'll be able to get back up. And there's little point in Song seeking victory outside of clinches and grappling.

Sean O'Malley vs Song Yadong Prediction

From all of the above, we can conclude: Song will need his strong head to force close combat and try to break his opponent at the net; there will be no other way. If he decides to hang back at long range, "Sugar" will make his life unbearably sweet and successfully outbox him.

To a large extent, the situation will depend on the former champion's mental readiness, and if this is in order, a victory by decision, with a possible loss of initiative at the start, when Yadong has not yet had his fill of blows, looks the most logical. Download 1xbet to your phone and place a bet on the favorite!

Prediction: Sean O'Malley wins by decision/over 2.5 rounds