UFC 324 Odds, Prediction: Sean O’Malley vs. Song Yadong
After an extended winter break, the return of the UFC is nearly upon us, as the first event of 2026 is scheduled for this weekend. UFC 324 will consist of 13 total fights across the early preliminary, preliminary and main cards, offering plenty of action and betting opportunities.
One of the highlights on the main card will be the co-main event, which will feature a fight in the UFC bantamweight division between the third-ranked Sean O’Malley and the fifth-ranked Song Yadong. The winner will be set to make his claim for the bantamweight title.
Sean O’Malley vs. Song Yadong Odds and Betting Trends
When looking at the MMA odds in this fight, we immediately see that O’Malley is set as the heavy favourite at -210. This means that Yadong is an underdog and is coming back at odds of +170.
Other popular betting markets would suggest that this fight will go the distance (-200), opposed to ending inside the distance (+145), and that O’Malley will be the one to win by decision (+100).
For more of a long shot, O’Malley is (+275) to win by KO/TKO or submission, while Yadong is (+550) to win by KO/TKO or submission.
Sean O’Malley
O’Malley has been a polarizing figure ever since he arrived on the scene, but the results speak for themselves. He is 18-3 overall in MMA fights, which includes his 11-3 mark in the UFC. However, his most recent trip to the octagon was a loss to Merab Dvalishvili by submission back in June 2025 in a UFC bantamweight title fight.
In his career, O’Malley has almost exclusively been a striker, as he averages 6.30 significant strikes per minute with 61 per cent accuracy. He also has a solid striking defence, absorbing 3.48 strikes per minute.
Because of his elite striking, his grappling is not as strong, averaging just 0.27 takedowns every 15 minutes.
Song Yadong
Yadong has had similar success when compared to O’Malley, as shown by his 22-8-1 MMA record and 11-3-1 UFC mark. His most recent fight resulted in a win against Henry Cejudo by unanimous decision back in February 2025.
Like O’Malley, Yadong prefers striking. He averages 4.58 significant strikes per minute, but he’s not as accurate as his counterpart (43 per cent). Defensively, he absorbs 4.00 strikes per minute with a striking defence of 55 per cent.
The difference with Yadong is that he is a decent grappler, averaging 0.61 takedowns every 15 minutes. Further, he has a takedown accuracy of 38 per cent and a takedown defence of 73 per cent.
UFC 324 Prediction: Who Will Win Sean O’Malley vs. Song Yadong?
Even with O’Malley being the heavy favourite, he still looks to be the best betting option. O’Malley may have lost his last two UFC fights, but in both cases, he was fighting for the UFC bantamweight title and was overmatched.
Yadong, on the other hand, has not fought in the UFC in nearly an entire year, meaning he could experience some rust. Add in the facts that O’Malley has the clear advantage in striking volume while Yadong only has a small advantage in grappling, and my pick for this fight is for Sean O’Malley to win.
