Either Sean O’Malley or Umar Nurmagomedov will fight this top-5 bantamweight at UFC 324

Song Yadong seemingly reveals he is fighting Sean O’Malley or Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 324

Song Yadong, the No. 5-ranked contender at 135 pounds, recently claimed to have signed a bout agreement for his return to action.

In a post on Douyin, the Chinese version of Tiktok, Song revealed he will be competing at UFC 324 against either Sean O’Malley or Umar Nurmagomedov. That post was shared on X by Chris Presnell, a combat sports reporter who specializes in Chinese MMA.

‘The Kung Fu Kid’ has not fought since UFC Seattle this past February. Song defeated Henry Cejudo via technical decision after the veteran American fighter was unable to continue through an eye poke in the third round.

After Nurmagomedov’s win over Mario Bautista in October, he hinted at potentially looking to secure a second shot at Merab Dvalishvili’s bantamweight title by getting through Song.

O’Malley, meanwhile, has also addressed a potential matchup with the Chinese striker following consecutive defeats to the Georgian champion.

Speaking on his YouTube channel in September, ‘Suga’ said he liked the Song matchup and would be open to fighting him in early 2026.

The bantamweight division is the center of attention at UFC 323 with Merab Dvalishvili’s return

With Song’s post in mind, the new year figures to start with high stakes in the bantamweight division. And that will most certainly be the case for the closing numbered event of 2025.

Dvalishvili and Petr Yan headline UFC 323 next Saturday in Las Vegas, as the Georgian looks to conclude his historic year with a fourth successful title defense.

Their bout tops a pay-per-view card at T-Mobile Arena that features one other championship matchup, as well as a host of other intriguing contests.

That includes another main card clash at 135 pounds, this time between retiring former two-division champ Cejudo and the up-and-coming Payton Talbott.

Which UFC 323 main card fight are you most excited for?

Whoever emerges from the main event as bantamweight king may not have long to wait before finding out their first challenger of 2026 judging by Song’s UFC 324 hint.