UFC Macao: Pavlovich, Song Yadong, Asakura among winners in finish-heavy card

UFC Macao delivered one of the most action-packed cards of 2026, with nine of thirteen bouts ending before the final bell, including seven first-round finishes across the card.

The most dramatic moment came early in the main event, as Sergei Pavlovich needed just 39 seconds to stop Glover Teixeira. Teixeira, 46, enters the record books at 33 wins and 9 losses. The Brazilian veteran out of Teixeira MMA and Fitness carried a six-foot-two frame and a 76-inch reach into the fight, along with a career average of 2.11 takedowns per 15 minutes — but never got the chance to use them. The stoppage underlines just how quickly Pavlovich can end an evening.

In the co-main event, Song Yadong found an unlikely finishing method to defeat Deiveson Figueiredo, locking in a guillotine choke late in the second round. The 28-year-old Chinese bantamweight, known as the Kung Fu Kid, improved to 22-9-1 and sits sixth in the divisional rankings. Yadong averages 4.42 significant strikes landed per minute, making the submission finish a rare but decisive deviation from his typical output. Figueiredo, the Brazilian ranked fifth at bantamweight and carrying a record of 25-6-1, submitted for just the second time in his career. The 38-year-old "Deus da Guerra" strikes at 53 percent accuracy and had submitted opponents at a rate of 1.2 attempts per 15 minutes throughout his own career.

Ryusei Asakura also earned a Performance of the Night bonus alongside Yadong after returning to bantamweight and stopping Smasher by knockout.

Why it matters

• Yadong's submission win over a top-five opponent could push the sixth-ranked contender significantly closer to a title shot at bantamweight
• Figueiredo's loss at 38 raises questions about his trajectory in a stacked 135-pound division
• The card's finish rate — nine stoppages in thirteen bouts — reinforces Macao as a venue that consistently produces high-action events