Sean O'Malley Beats Song Yadong By Unanimous Decision in Co-Main Event at UFC 324

Sean O'Malley added the Suga Show to Paramount Plus's listings with a unanimous decision win over Song Yadong in the first numbered event on the streaming platform.

The fight got off to a quieter start than expected for two exciting standup fighters. O'Malley took a measured approach while Song set a nice foundation of leg kicks to work from. 

A late takedown might have been the difference maker for Song. 

Going into the second round didn't seem to give O'Malley much more comfort in opening things up. The round was competitive, but Suga seemed unwilling to commit to his strikes. Song continued to pile on pressure. 

The third and final round was easily O'Malley's best. He landed multiple clean shots to the face and bloodied Song's nose. That was enough to cap the unanimous decision win for O'Malley.

The win puts O'Malley back in the conversation at 135 pounds. Back-to-back losses to Merab Dvalishvili had hurt the 31-year-old's stock, but getting back to his winning ways against Song gives him his first win since March 2024.

That's when O'Malley successfully defended his bantamweight championship in a rematch against Marlon "Chito" Vera.

Dvalishvili turned out to be O'Malley's kryptonite. He took the title from the striker and then successfully defended it in the immediate rematch.

However, Petr Yan's victory over Dvalishvili has breathed new life in O'Malley's pursuit of the title. He already has a split decision victory over Yan on his resume.

That fight earned Fight of the Night honors and a rematch would draw a lot of eyes. Making that rematch happen is now a priority for the former champion.

"It's got to be me versus Petr next, if I go out there and take care of business," O'Malley told media ahead of the fight. "If not- I don't know. I just feel I'm kind of trying to manifest that. If I think if I go out and put on a beautiful performance, me versus Petr at the White House is huge."

The UFC could potentially do an event at the White House, tentatively scheduled for June 14.

O'Malley is one of the most recognizable stars in the sport. It's not a coincidence that he was chosen for the first card on Paramount. So it wouldn't be shocking if he finds himself on a tentpole event like a card at the White House.

Given his past history with Yan, it feels like he's more than likely to get his wish.