UFC 324’s Song Yadong made big change ahead of Sean O’Malley fight

Song Yadong has made a significant adjustment that he believes will pay dividends when he faces Sean O’Malley.

Yadong and O’Malley have been booked for a UFC 324 showdown on Jan. 24. The bout will be a part of UFC’s first event under the Paramount+ streaming deal. The card is being headlined by an interim lightweight title fight between Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje.

UFC.com spoke to Yadong ahead of the historic show. The No. 5-ranked bantamweight revealed that he has put greater focus on one aspect of his game.

“For this year, I have been focused on more wrestling,” Yadong said. “I went to San Diego to train with J-Flo (Justin Flores) — he’s a judo guy, so I learned some new stuff.

“This fight is very important for me because a win over Sean is a big accomplishment,” he said, acknowledging the magnitude of the task before him. “This is a big opportunity for me.”

A win over O’Malley would be the biggest of Yadong’s pro MMA career. It would also put him closer to a UFC Bantamweight Championship fight than he’s ever been. O’Malley is entering this fight with something to prove, as he dropped two straight bouts to Merab Dvalishvili.

Yadong has mixed it up with some of the biggest names in the 135-pound weight class. That includes current champion Petr Yan. Yadong suffered a decision loss to Yan and a TKO loss against Cory Sandhagen. His most recent outing was against Henry Cejudo and while the bout ended in disappointing fashion, Yadong did earn a technical decision.

O’Malley went winless in 2025, so he’ll look to start the new year by reminding the MMA world that he is a former champion. “Suga’s” last victory was back in March 2024 when he still held gold.

BJPenn.com has been covering the latest UFC 324 news and that will continue leading up to the big event on Jan. 24.