Song Yadong issues first social media remarks after lopsided UFC 324 loss to Sean O’Malley

UFC bantamweight contender Song Yadong’s impressive run came to an abrupt end at the hands of Sean O’Malley at UFC 324.

After an at-times tense buildup to their fight at UFC 324, top bantamweights Song Yadong and Sean O’Malley put on a show in the co-main event on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Yadong and the former titleholder O’Malley, two of the best bantamweight strikers in Mixed Martial Arts, went toe-to-toe in a three-round bout at UFC 324. Despite Yadong getting nearly knocked out by a nasty knee from O’Malley midway through the fight, the bout went the full distance, with O’Malley earning a unanimous decision victory.

O’Malley snapped the first two-fight skid of his MMA career on Saturday at UFC 324, following back-to-back losses to Merab Dvalishvili. Meanwhile, Yadong’s recent run of wins in three of his previous four fights came to an end.

Despite suffering from the jaws of defeat, Yadong is using his loss to O’Malley as a learning experience, as the talented 28-year-old figures to be a mainstay of the division for years to come.

Song Yadong gives ‘no excuses’ in first statement since UFC 324 co-main loss

In a recent Instagram post, Yadong addressed his fans after falling short of a career-best win at UFC 324.

Sean O’Malley vs Song Yadong#UFC324 pic.twitter.com/Xdq4wWHAyH

— 🥷💥▂ ▃ ▅ MMA FIGHTING SUMMARIES ▅ ▃ ▂💥🥷 (@mmafightt) January 25, 2026

“I bled, but I didn’t lose,” Yadong said.

“The fight wasn’t perfect, and I take that. No excuses – I’ll keep improving and move forward.”

Before UFC 324, Yadong defeated former UFC two-division champion Henry Cejudo at UFC Seattle last year, in a controversial technical decision win. He’s earned wins over the likes of Ricky Simon, Chris Gutierrez, and Marlon Moraes during his promotional tenure.

As UFC bantamweight champ Petr Yan, Yadong’s former rival, prepares for a likely trilogy with Dvalishvili later this year, Yadong will look to get back into the title conversation later this year.