The bouts leading up to UFC FIGHT NIGHT kick off tonight at Macau’s largest indoor arena, the Galaxy Arena, in Cotai.
Headlined by No.5 UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) Bantamweight Song Yadong from Heilongjiang and No.7 UFC Bantamweight Deiveson Figueiredo of Soure, northern Brazil, the first two days is for the opening rounds of ROAD TO UFC Season 5, culminating in the sold-out main event on Saturday.
An opening ceremony was held last night at Galaxy Macau’s East Square, gathering six fighters for open workouts including shadowboxing and pad work, and to share remarks, with some also delivering messages for their opponents.
Headliners Song and Figueiredo specifically promised their fans a knockout during their fight on Saturday.
Figueiredo, aka “Deus da Guerra” (“God of War”), makes his return to Macau following the sold-out UFC FIGHT NIGHT in 2024 that was also held at Galaxy Arena, where he lost against Russia’s Petr Yan via unanimous decision*.
Figueiredo’s record stands at 25 wins, six losses and one draw. Nine of his wins were by knockout and nine via submission, according to official data from UFC. Addressing attendees in Portuguese at yesterday’s opening event, Figueiredo said through an interpreter: “On Saturday, you guys are going to see a brawl, a fight. Song and I are going to be in the Octagon, you guys are going to see a good show”. For his opponent Song, he had this to say: “I’m sorry Song, I’m here to beat you. I’m going to knock you out”, promising a submission.
Title contender Song (aka The Kung Fu Kid), meanwhile, boasts nine wins by knockout, with three via submission. His fight record is at 22 wins, nine losses, one draw, and one no contest. Song said he was grateful to his fans, which include those who travelled from afar to see the fight. “Figueiredo is a stepping stone”, Song, whose remarks were translated from Putonghua, said, setting his sights for another bout with Petr Yan, who he also lost to via unanimous decision earlier this year at UFC 299. He pointed out that he will finish the fight “as soon as possible” and celebrate with his fans.
Other fighters who also participated in yesterday’s open workout were co-mains Zhang Mingyang (19-7) from Anhui and Alonzo Menifield (17-6-1) from Dallas; as well as fighters Kai Asakura (21-6) from Tokyo and newcomer Xiong Jingnan (19-2) from Bali.
A number of fighters are set to have their bouts in the coming days, with the Road to UFC Season 5 to be headlined by the Chinese mainland’s Rong Zhu and Victor Martinez from the US, along with the Chinese mainland’s Shi Ming and India’s Puja Tomar in the Women’s Strawweight fight on day 2.
Meanwhile, the “UFC FAN EXPERIENCE” is set up at Galaxy Macau’s Pearl Lobby, featuring photo spots and themed activities including those testing reaction time, punching power and athleticism.
The three-night fight event is jointly presented by integrated resort operator Galaxy Macau and UFC. A four-year deal between the two entities was announced in September 2025 to bring three UFC FIGHT NIGHT events to the Galaxy Arena from 2026 through 2029.
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Heilongjiang’s Song Yadong hits pads during yesterday’s Open Workout at Galaxy Macau. – Photos: Rui Pastorin
Brazil’s Deiveson Figueiredo demonstrates grappling techniques at the Open Workout session at Galaxy Macau.
