Song Yadong submitted Deiveson Figueiredo with a guillotine choke late in round two at UFC Macao, earning a performance bonus. Sergei Pavlovich stopped Glover Teixeira in just 39 seconds. In the co-main event, Minyanghe was knocked out by Meninfield despite entering as a significant favorite, while Asakura returned to bantamweight and knocked out Smotherman. Nine of thirteen bouts ended early, with seven finishes coming in the first round.
UFC Macao delivered a finish-heavy card on June 1, with Song Yadong submitting Deiveson Figueiredo via guillotine choke late in the second round to headline the event and earn a performance bonus. Sergei Pavlovich added a brutal exclamation point by stopping Glover Teixeira in just 39 seconds.
Song Yadong's victory came against a seasoned opponent in Figueiredo, the 38-year-old Brazilian known as "Deus da Guerra" who entered the fight ranked fifth at bantamweight with a 25-6-1 record. Figueiredo, who stands five-foot-five with a 68-inch reach, has historically been difficult to finish, making the submission stoppage a notable result. He connects at a 53 percent striking accuracy rate and has averaged over one submission attempt per 15 minutes throughout his career, underscoring his own finishing credentials.
Pavlovich's 39-second destruction of Glover Teixeira was equally striking. Teixeira, now 46 years old, carries a 33-9 record and remains one of the most respected veterans in the sport. The Brazilian owns a six-foot-two frame and a 76-inch reach, and has long blended solid striking — averaging 3.73 significant strikes per minute — with a well-rounded grappling game including over two takedowns per 15 minutes. The finish underlined the gap between Pavlovich's power and where Teixeira is at this stage of his career.
Elsewhere on the card, Kai Asakura returned to bantamweight and knocked out Smotherman, improving to 21-6-0. The 32-year-old Japanese fighter, representing Japan Top Team, had been listed as a flyweight at rank 15 entering the event. The co-main event produced one of the night's bigger upsets, as Meninfield knocked out Minyanghe despite the latter entering as a significant favorite.
Why it matters
- Nine of thirteen bouts ended inside the distance, with seven first-round finishes signaling an unusually aggressive card
- Figueiredo's submission loss at bantamweight could affect his positioning in an already competitive division
- Teixeira's 39-second stoppage raises immediate questions about the former light heavyweight champion's future at 46
