Song Yadong finishes Deiveson Figueiredo with guillotine choke

Song Yadong submitted Deiveson Figueiredo with a guillotine choke on May 30, 2026, in a bantamweight contest that produced one of the more striking finishes in the division's recent history. The victory also continued Team Alpha Male's notable legacy with the guillotine, a technique the camp has previously used to finish former champions Jens Pulver and Dominick Cruz.

Song, known as "Kung Fu Kid," entered the fight ranked sixth at bantamweight with a record of 22-9-1. The 28-year-old stands five-foot-eight with a 67-inch reach and has built his reputation primarily as a volume striker, averaging 4.42 significant strikes per minute. Submission attempts have been rare in his career, making the guillotine finish a notable departure from his usual approach.

Figueiredo, ranked fifth in the division, came in as one of the more experienced fighters in the weight class. The 38-year-old Brazilian, nicknamed "Deus da Guerra," carries a record of 25-6-1 and has averaged 1.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes throughout his career, making his own grappling credentials well established. He lands 2.63 significant strikes per minute at 53 percent accuracy, and his takedown output of 1.61 per 15 minutes reflects a well-rounded game. Despite those credentials, he was caught in the choke and could not escape.

Why it matters

• Song moves to 23-9-1 and strengthens his case for a higher ranking in a competitive bantamweight division
• Figueiredo, at 38 and now ranked fifth, faces questions about his path back toward title contention after the defeat
• The style matchup favored Song's physicality and reach inside the clinch, where the guillotine was secured against a fighter with a shorter frame at five-foot-five
• Team Alpha Male's guillotine pedigree adds a layer of historical significance to a finish that few anticipated from Song