Former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley takes on Song Yadong in the co-main event at UFC 324 tonight.
“Suga” comes off back-to-back title losses but enters as a -210 favorite against Song in the latest UFC odds.
Here are my top free UFC 324: O’Malley vs. Song predictions for Saturday, January 24.
O'Malley vs Song prediction and best bet
- My fight prediction: O'Malley moneyline (-210 at BET99)
- My best bet: O'Malley by decision (+105 at BET99)
Fight analysis
Song Yadong is 6-2 in his last eight trips to the octagon with those losses coming against current champion Petr Yan and No. 4 contender Cory Sandhagen.
Sean O’Malley lost the bantamweight title to Merab Dvalishvili in 2024 and was submitted in a rematch last summer. While O’Malley couldn't beat an elite wrestler with relentless cardio like Merab, I'd back him against anybody in the division in a standup battle.
Song's wrestling isn't good enough to turn this into a grappling fight and he's usually willing to trade strikes. He has crisp technical boxing, but lacks O’Malley’s kicking ability, precision, and creative arsenal. Song is also basic with his fundamentals while O’Malley uses feints and multiple angles to keep opponents off balance.
In a similar matchup against Cory Sandhagen in 2022, Song was pieced up in a TKO loss. He was even outstruck 87-49 at distance by Chris Gutierrez and had to rely on wrestling and power to secure the win.
O’Malley’s length, volume, and diverse striking will be too much for Song to handle.
Best bet analysis
O'Malley relies more on his precision and volume rather than death-touch power. Suga is eighth in UFC history in significant striking accuracy (61.2%) while ranking 10th in strike differential (+2.88).
Song is a tough fighter who has lost five times since turning 20 years old, but only one of those came inside the distance. That was a doctor's stoppage loss to Sandhagen, and even that bout went until the end of the fourth round.
With this fight scheduled for just 15 minutes, expect Song to make it to the final bell but lose on the scorecards.
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Sean O'Malley vs Song Yadong odds
 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Method of Victory | O'Malley | Song |
| To win outright | -210 | +165 |
| To win by KO/TKO | +335 | +625 |
| To win by decision | +105 | +305 |
| To win by submission | +2250 | +2500 |
| Draw | +5000 | +5000 |
Odds as of 1-24.
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Sean O'Malley vs Song Yadong tale of the tape
| O'Malley | Song | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Age | 28 |
| 5-foot-11 | Height | 5-foot-8 |
| Bantamweight | Weight Class | Bantamweight |
| 72 inches | Reach | 67 inches |
| 18-3 (1 NC) | Record | 22-8 |
| 12 | Wins by KO | 9 |
| 1 | Wins by submission | 3 |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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