Alongside Zhang Weili, Song Yadong has emerged as one of China’s biggest stars in the UFC. With his explosive fighting style and animated callouts, the Harbin native has also won over the American audience. While ‘The Kung Fu Kid’ has built a reputation for delivering highlight-reel knockouts inside the cage, his career has also seen a few costly losses at crucial moments.

On January 24, the 28-year-old faces the biggest test of his career when he takes on Sean O’Malley in the UFC 324 co-main event. A win here would significantly strengthen his case for a future title shot. With that in mind, it is no surprise that Song is expected to perform at his absolute best against the former 135-pound champion. But before ‘The Kung Fu Kid’ lights up the Octagon on the first-ever Paramount+ CBS card, it is worth looking back at the losses that shaped his journey.

How many losses does Song Yadong have in his MMA career?

Out of 32 professional MMA fights, Song Yadong holds eight losses, 22 wins, and one draw. A closer look at his record shows a clear pattern. The Chinese bantamweight tends to struggle most when fights go the distance, as five of his losses have come by decision, the highest number in his career.

Beyond those decision defeats, Yadong has suffered two losses by knockout, one by submission, and one via disqualification. That breakdown highlights how difficult he is to finish, as his aggressive style makes him tough to knock out or submit. However, while chasing finishes, Yadong has occasionally allowed fights to slip away on the scorecards.

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Now that the overall numbers and methods behind his losses are clear, it is time to take a closer look at the key defeats that have defined different stages of his career.  

Which fighters have defeated Song Yadong in the UFC?  

Song Yadong’s eight professional losses came across different promotions. While the Chinese standout dropped five fights outside the UFC, it is his three losses under Dana White’s promotion that matter most at this stage of his career.

After putting together a strong run of five wins and one draw, Yadong suffered his first UFC setback against Kyler Phillips at UFC 259 on March 6, 2021, losing by unanimous decision. That defeat stalled his momentum, but ‘The Kung Fu Kid’ did not lose confidence and immediately went back to work rebuilding his run.

Following the loss to Phillips, Yadong rattled off three straight wins, which earned him a Fight Night headliner against Cory Sandhagen. He entered that bout knowing one more victory could push him close to a title shot. However, ‘The Sandman’ landed a brutal standing elbow that opened a deep cut over Yadong’s left eye, forcing a doctor stoppage loss.

The pattern repeated once again. ‘The Kung Fu Kid’ bounced back with back-to-back wins, only to fall short against former bantamweight champion Petr Yan at UFC 299 via unanimous decision. Much like the Sandhagen fight, a win over ‘No Mercy’ would have dramatically strengthened Yadong’s title hopes. Instead, he suffered another loss at a crucial moment.

With several career-defining setbacks coming at key points, fans cannot help but ask what this means for Song Yadong’s future. And there is definitely a bigger picture worth looking at when it comes to where he goes from here.

How do these losses shape Song Yadong’s UFC Future? 

While it is true that Song Yadong’s UFC journey has featured both strong comebacks and painful setbacks, his long-term outlook in the promotion has always stayed positive.

After his loss to Petr Yan, Dana White and the matchmakers did not push him back with a low-profile matchup. Instead, they lined him up against former two-division champion Henry Cejudo at UFC Seattle last year. The result came with controversy, as ‘Triple C’ could not continue after an eye poke, but the promotion still treated it as a legitimate win for Yadong.

That decision showed how much faith the UFC has in Song Yadong’s star power and skill set. It is also why the promotion handed him a massive opportunity against Sean O’Malley at UFC 324. A win there would firmly place ‘The Kung Fu Kid’ among the elite contenders at 135 pounds. 

Even if he falls short, plenty of compelling matchups remain. Fights against Mario Bautista, Deiveson Figueiredo, or even Umar Nurmagomedov would still make sense and keep him right in the mix. So, overall, it is fair to say that Song Yadong’s future looks promising, even with a few significant losses on his UFC record.

That said, what do you think about the 28-year-old’s future in the UFC? Let us know in the comments section below.