The UFC returns to Macau this weekend with Song Yadong hoping to get back into bantamweight title contention when he faces former two-time flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo.
The last time the UFC held an event at Galaxy Arena was in November 2024, when Figueiredo lost an entertaining five-round main event to current 135-pound titleholder Petr Yan.
Brazil’s Figueiredo was an underdog against Yan and is more than a four-to-one betting underdog against China’s Song, who should have nearly the entire crowd supporting him.
Song is coming off a 29-28 decision loss to former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley in January on the same card that saw Figueiredo lose a unanimous decision to Umar Nurmagomedov.
Figueiredo, 38, was a two-time champion at 125 pounds and has gone 4-3 against top competition at 135 pounds since moving up in weight late in 2023. He is nearing the end of his career but wants to go out on a high note.
Also on the Macau card, knockout artists Sergei Pavlovich and Tallison Teixeira will look to end things quickly in the heavyweight division. Pavlovich is the No. 3-ranked contender and is on a two-fight winning streak, but he hasn’t finished an opponent in three years.
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Just like the Fight Night event in Perth, Australia, at the beginning of the month, UFC Macau is not catered to a North American audience. Instead, the local crowd will get to experience the event in primetime, while fans in Canada and the United States will have to watch early in the morning due to the significant time difference.
All 26 fighters scheduled to compete on Saturday's card successfully made weight early Friday.
Below is the projected bout order plus full panel predictions for UFC Macau:
MAIN CARD
-- Song Yadong vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
-- Zhang Mingyang vs. Alonzo Menifield
-- Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tallison Teixeira
-- Kai Asakura vs. Cameron Smotherman
-- Jake Matthews vs. Carlston Harris
-- Alex Perez vs. Su Mudaerji
PRELIMINARY CARD
-- Lee Yi-sak vs. Luis Felipe Dias
-- Ding Meng vs. José Henrique Souza
-- Aori Qileng vs. Cody Haddon
-- Rei Tsuruya vs. Luis Gurule
-- Angela Hill vs. Xiong Jingnan
-- Zhu Kangjie vs. Rodrigo Vera
-- Loma Lookboonmee vs. Jaqueline Amorim
Ahead of each UFC event in 2026, UFC reporter Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter), producer Dan Fernandes (@DanFernandes__) and writer/editor Mike Johnston (@MikeyJ_MMA) will peruse the odds and make four betting predictions using fantasy dollars: one best bet, one favourite, one underdog and one dart throw wager. REMINDER: Sportsnet is committed to promoting and educating audiences about the importance of betting responsibly. Sources for responsible gambling can be found HERE.
AARON'S PICKS
Cage Lock: Pavlovich vs. Teixeira does not go the distance -588
Favourite: Rei Tsuruya -240
Underdog: Jose Henrique +100
Dart Throw: Jacqueline Amorim wins in Round 1 +450
I would be surprised if Pavlovich and Teixeira get out of the first round. If it goes the distance, I will be utterly shocked. … Tsuruya’s grappling should be able to neutralize Gurule, who is travelling across the world on short notice, having recently fought. … Henrique will be a tricky puzzle for Ding to solve with his above-average height and length. He has improved quite a bit since his loss on Contender Series and despite Ding's experience, I think Henrique has solid value. … Amorim is seemingly first round or bust and with that being her hot round, I will throw a dart on her finding an early finish.
DAN'S PICKS
Cage Lock: Sergei Pavlovich -588
Favourite: Kai Asakura -250
Underdog: Su Mudaerji +125
Dart Throw: Deiveson Figueiredo +425
Sergey Pavlovich over Tallison Teixeira doesn’t need too much justification. Pavlovich is the biggest betting favourite on the card, so let’s leave it there. … Kai Asakura was tossed into the proverbial deep end for his first two UFC bouts, but he is a much better mixed martial artist than his UFC record shows. He’s back up to 135, and with question marks surrounding Cameron Smotherman’s MMA potential, this is the perfect bounce-back opportunity for the Japanese star. … Look for the boy named Su Mudaerji to give Alex Perez a proper fight here that will inevitably go to scorecards. I think Su Mudaerji pulls off an upset, plus I really like Johnny Cash. It’s a no-brainer! … These odds on a fighter with Figueiredo’s accomplishments are unintentionally disrespectful. Huge recency bias on the moneyline here. Figueiredo has multiple realistic paths to victory here. I will be smashing the live dog button all night in this one!
MIKE'S PICKS
Cage Lock: Jake Matthews to win -350
Favourite: Kai Asakura -250
Underdog: Alonzo Menifield +200
Dart Throw: Su Mudaerji by split/majority decision +1000
Jake Matthews is coming off a curious loss to Neil Magny and now faces another tough vet in Carlston Harris, but I see the younger Aussie having an advantage in most areas in this matchup, plus he’ll be extra motivated to get back in the win column. … I anticipate Asakura vs. Smotherman to take place on the feet, where I give Asakura the advantage. I also think not cutting all the way down to 125 will result in a better version of Asakura. … Menifield’s chin could be a real problem, but he also has the more well-rounded skill set plus KO power of his own. … Su Mudaerji vs. Perez is one of the best matchups on the card and I can totally see this one being a close, fan-friendly 15-minute scrap.
CAGE LOCKS PARLAY
Three legs: Pavlovich vs. Teixeira inside distance + Pavlovich + Matthews
Parlay odds: -132 (to win: $76.03)
2026 STANDINGS AFTER 16 EVENTS
CAGE LOCKS PARLAY
2026 record: 7-9 (W2)
2026 winnings: -$256.48 (on $100 bets)
AARON'S RECORDS/TOTALS (30-34, -2.34 units)
Cage Lock: 10-6 (-$404.93)
Favourite: 10-6 (-$24.47)
Underdog: 7-9 (+$95)
Dart throw: 3-13 (+$100)
DAN'S RECORDS/TOTALS (33-31, -0.37 units)
Cage Lock: 15-1 (+$150.84)
Favourite: 11-5 (+$56.76)
Underdog: 5-11 (-$395)
Dart throw: 2-14 (+$150)
MIKE'S RECORDS/TOTALS (29-34-1, -10.88 units)
Cage Lock: 13-3 (+$49.00)
Favourite: 10-6 (+$102.74)
Underdog: 6-9-1 (+$360)
Dart throw: 0-16 (-$1,600)
Cage Lock: The pick deemed to be the wager most likely to win regardless of what the odds look like. The Cage Locks parlay will combine Aaron’s, Dan’s and Mike’s respective best bet for each event.
Favourite: A fighter with winning odds shorter than -300 but not longer than -110. On chalkier cards with a dearth of available moneyline favourites that meet those criteria, prop bets are allowed to be selected.
Underdog: Any fighter with longer odds than their opponent’s.
Dart Throw: Any prop bet or moneyline wager with odds of +400 or longer.
(Betting odds above are via BetMGM, submitted at various times throughout week, and subject to change prior to the fights)
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