Former Foe Thought Song Yadong Beat Sean O'Malley at UFC 324

Julio Arce believes Yadong should have gotten the nod over O'Malley in their close fight.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 3:49am

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting the dynamic movements and action of a mixed martial arts fight, with the combatants' forms broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color.A cubist interpretation of the closely contested UFC bout between Song Yadong and Sean O'Malley, with a former opponent of Yadong's believing the Chinese fighter deserved the victory.Today in Pittsburgh

According to Julio Arce, a former opponent of Song Yadong, Yadong should have been declared the winner in his recent fight against Sean O'Malley at UFC 324. Arce felt Yadong edged out O'Malley in the close and contested bout, though the judges ultimately ruled in favor of O'Malley.

Why it matters

This adds to the ongoing debate around the Yadong-O'Malley fight and whether the judges made the right call. As a former foe of Yadong's, Arce's perspective provides additional insight into how the fight was perceived by those familiar with Yadong's skills.

The details

In his recent fight at UFC 324, Song Yadong took on rising star Sean O'Malley in a closely contested bout. While O'Malley was ultimately declared the winner by the judges, Julio Arce, who previously fought and lost to Yadong, believes Yadong should have been awarded the victory. Arce felt Yadong did enough to edge out O'Malley in the fight.

  • The Yadong-O'Malley fight took place on January 24, 2026 at UFC 324.
  • Julio Arce discussed the fight ahead of his own bout against Alexei Pergande on March 28, 2026 in PFL Pittsburgh.

The players

Song Yadong

A Chinese mixed martial artist currently ranked 5th in the UFC bantamweight division.

Sean O'Malley

A rising American star in the UFC bantamweight division.

Julio Arce

A former UFC fighter who previously competed against and lost to Song Yadong.

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What they’re saying

“In my opinion, I thought that Song [Yadong] took that fight. It was actually; it was very close. It was very close. I thought Song took that fight but again, it gets left in judges' hands. Who knows? They might see; a lot of people see it one way, then some people see it the other way. But I thought Song took that fight and, you know what, guess he's kind of back to the drawing board. But look, he's made it to; he's what? In the top 10. He's a beast.”

— Julio Arce, Former Opponent of Song Yadong

What’s next

Song Yadong will look to bounce back from the close loss to O'Malley when he faces former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo on May 30th in Macau.

The takeaway

This fight highlights the ongoing subjectivity in MMA judging, as even a former opponent of Yadong's felt he deserved the win over the highly touted O'Malley. It also shows Yadong's continued status as an elite bantamweight contender despite the setback.