Sean O'Malley vs Song Yadong Prediction & Picks - UFC #324
UFC - UFC #324
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by Bill Christy | in UFC Picks
The co-main event between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes was scrapped due to Harrison needing surgery. While that was upsetting for UFC fans, they are now going to be treated to what could end up being the fight of the night between the #3 and #5 ranked Bantamweights in the UFC. Sean O’Malley will look to edge closer to another title shot when he faces off with #5 Song Yadong Saturday night.
O’Malley will finally face someone other than Merab Dvalishvili. O’Malley was unsuccessful in defeating Merab in back-to-back attempts that spanned most of his fighting time over the last 2 years. It was clear in those fights that O’Malley could not compete with the amount of pressure and cardio that Merab possesses. However, now he will face a fighter with a strong striking background, which O’Malley is sure to be happy with as a change of pace.
Song Yadong has won 3 of his last 4 fights, with his latest victory coming over the legend Henry Cejudo. Unlike O’Malley, Yadong was able to stifle Cejudo when he tried to grapple with him and kept the fight on their feet, where he was able to use his reach and strong striking skills to pick up the unanimous decision.
We are not likely to see much grappling in this contest, and fight fans should be pleased with that idea. Footwork and speed are what should determine the winner in this bout.
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Sean O'Malley - Song Yadong Key Points
- O’Malley has 12 KO/TKO wins over his 18 total wins.
- O’Malley holds a distinct reach advantage of 5 inches.
- Yadong’s last 2 losses came against opponents with strong striking backgrounds in Yan and Sanshagen.
- Yadong has 8 career losses with 2 of them coming via KO/TKO.
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Our Sean O'Malley vs Song Yadong Prediction
Sean O’Malley has seemingly had a change of persona over the last year and a half. While that did not serve him well in the rematch against Merb, we believe it will help him here against Yadong. O’Malley is the superior striker and will have a 5-inch reach advantage on the feet. We expect O’Malley to use his lightning-fast jabs to keep Yadong at bay and piece him up while on the feet. A knockout may be a stretch, but we believe O’Malley will get the win either by decision or a TKO.
Our prediction for Sean O’Malley vs Song Yadong: O'Malley to win
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