UFC Macau Is at 4 AM Saturday and Nobody Is Talking About It. Here's Why You Should Be

I'm going to keep this real with you because most of you aren't setting an alarm for 4 AM on Saturday to watch a UFC card in China. I totally get it. I probably wouldn't either if I didn't write about this stuff for a living. But if you DO set that alarm or if you catch the replays later that morning, you're going to find a 13 fight card with way more storylines than the time slot deserves.

Song Yadong vs Deiveson Figueiredo headlines. Two ranked bantamweights. Five rounds. And Song hasn't fought in front of his own people in eight years.

Here's why this card actually matters even though nobody is talking about it.

Song Yadong Hasn't Fought at Home Since 2018

Song Yadong (22-9-1) is the #5 ranked bantamweight in the UFC. They call him "The Kung Fu Kid." He's been fighting in America for basically his entire UFC career. Left China as a teenager, built his name on the other side of the world, and hasn't competed in front of a Chinese crowd since 2018.

Eight years bro. The man has been grinding in the US for eight years without a single fight on home soil. Think about what that does to a fighter psychologically. Every other champion and contender gets a hometown card eventually. Whittaker got Perth. Topuria got Abu Dhabi. Strickland got Newark. Song has been waiting since he was basically a kid.

He's 28 now. Six performance bonuses on his resume. He's coming off a loss to Petr Yan at UFC 324 that was competitive but clearly went Yan's way. Before that he beat Sean O'Malley in a fight that legitimized him as a top five contender at 135. A win here in Macau keeps him in the title conversation. A loss at home in front of his own fans would be devastating for his ranking and probably his confidence.

Figueiredo's Macau Redemption

Deiveson Figueiredo (25-6-1) is one of the most confusing careers in UFC history. The man was the flyweight champion twice. He was the scariest 125 pounder alive for about two years. Then he lost the belt to Brandon Moreno. Then won it back, then lost it again. And then moved to bantamweight because he was tired of cutting to 125.

At bantamweight he's been doing fine. Not dominant but not bad. He beat Cody Garbrandt and Rob Font. Lost to Marlon Vera and Petr Yan. He's #10 in the division right now, which for a former two time champion is kind of a weird place to be.

And here's the detail that makes Saturday interesting. The last time Figueiredo fought in Macau was November 2024. He lost to Yan. So he's coming back to the same arena where he last took an L trying to spoil the homecoming of the highest ranked Chinese fighter on the roster.

That's a tough spot mentally. The arena isn't going to be cheering for you. The crowd is there for Song. And the last time you were in that building you lost. But Figueiredo has always been dangerous and if his power translates to bantamweight (it hasn't consistently) he can change any fight with one shot.

The Pick

I'm picking Song by decision. Home crowd. Five rounds. His cardio is better than Figueiredo's and the volume advantage should show up in the championship rounds. Figueiredo is going to be dangerous early but I think Song weathers the storm and takes over in rounds three through five.

Song wants this one bad. Eight years away from home. A loss to Yan he needs to bounce back from. And a crowd that's going to go absolutely insane the second his music hits. That energy matters. Especially in a five round fight where the margins are tight.

The Undercard Fights You Should Actually Watch

This card is deeper than most people realize. A few fights that deserve your attention even if they're on at 4 AM.

Zhang Mingyang vs Alonzo Menifield. Light Heavyweight.

Zhang is the rising Chinese light heavyweight who everybody in the Asian MMA scene has been talking about. He's got knockout power and he's fighting on home turf against Menifield who is always dangerous but hittable. If Zhang wins, he crashes the top 15 at 205 and becomes the biggest Chinese star in the UFC outside of Song. This is his moment.

Sergei Pavlovich vs Tallison Teixeira. Heavyweight.

Pavlovich used to be a legitimate title contender at heavyweight. He was on a five fight KO streak before Tom Aspinall flatlined him in the first round. Since then he's gone 1-2 and looks like a different fighter. Teixeira is a young Brazilian heavyweight who's been finishing people. If Pavlovich loses this one, the conversation about his future in the UFC gets real uncomfortable real fast.

Kai Asakura vs Cameron Smotherman. Bantamweight.

Asakura was a star in RIZIN. One of the biggest names in Japanese MMA. The UFC signed him and he lost his debut to Song at UFC 310 in December 2024. He's been sitting out since then and Saturday is basically his last chance to prove he belongs on the UFC roster. A loss here and the RIZIN crossover experiment might be over.

Muslim Salikhov vs Jake Matthews. Welterweight.

Salikhov is 41 years old and fights like he's 25. The man is a former Sanda world champion from Dagestan who throws spinning kicks that have no business landing as cleanly as they do at his age. Matthews is a tough Australian who's been in the UFC since he was 20. Two veterans who are going to stand and bang for 15 minutes. This is a sleeper Fight of the Night candidate.

Set the Alarm

Look, I know 4 AM is brutal bro. I know most of you are going to check Twitter when you wake up and see the results instead of watching live. That's fine. But if you're the type of fan who actually cares about the sport beyond the main events and the big PPV cards, Saturday morning is worth your time.

Song Yadong fighting at home for the first time in eight years. Figueiredo trying to redeem himself in the same arena he lost in. Zhang Mingyang potentially becoming the next big Chinese star. Asakura's UFC career on the line. Pavlovich trying to prove he's still relevant. And Salikhov throwing spinning kicks at 41 years old because that's just what he does.

13 fights. 4 AM ET start. Galaxy Arena in Macau. The card nobody is talking about might end up being one of the best Fight Nights of the year.

Set the alarm. Or don't. But don't say I didn't tell you.

Thanks for riding with CageLore. Stay locked in!

Frequently Asked Questions

When is UFC Macau?

Saturday, May 30, 2026 at Galaxy Arena in Macau SAR, China. Prelims start at 4 AM ET and the main card starts at 7 AM ET. The event streams on Paramount+.

Who is Song Yadong?

Song Yadong (22-9-1) is the #5 ranked UFC bantamweight from China. Known as "The Kung Fu Kid," he has six post fight bonuses and wins over Sean O'Malley and Ricky Simon. He hasn't fought in front of a Chinese crowd since 2018. This is his first main event in his home region.

Who is Deiveson Figueiredo?

Figueiredo (25-6-1) is a former two time UFC flyweight champion from Brazil. He moved to bantamweight after his second title reign and is currently ranked #10 at 135 pounds. His last fight in Macau was a loss to Petr Yan in November 2024.

What are the main card fights?

Song Yadong vs Deiveson Figueiredo (bantamweight), Zhang Mingyang vs Alonzo Menifield (light heavyweight), Sergei Pavlovich vs Tallison Teixeira (heavyweight), Kai Asakura vs Cameron Smotherman (bantamweight), Muslim Salikhov vs Jake Matthews (welterweight), Alex Perez vs Su Mudaerji (flyweight).

How many fights are on the card?

13 fights total across the prelims and main card. The UFC's fifth event in Macau and the first since November 2024.