To build up a fight, UFC fighters sometimes walk a fine line when engaging in pre-fight trash talk and psychological games. This time, however, one fighter may have crossed it.
Ahead of one of UFC 324's most anticipated bouts, UFC bantamweight contender Song Yadong confronted the behavior of former champion Sean O’Malley over a pre-fight stunt he deemed racially insensitive. During their initial face-off in Las Vegas last month, O'Malley emerged wearing a protective face mask, a gesture many interpreted as a jab at Song's Chinese heritage by invoking COVID pandemic-era stereotypes.
Watch their faceoff here (courtesy of UFC on Instagram):
Song Yadong's Response
Song was frank in his assessment of the ordeal, stating in an interview last month with Jake Noecker from Home of Fight, “Yeah, that was totally racist... He wants to be the second Conor [McGregor], so I’m okay with that because it’s good for promotion. Whatever he does, I’m focused on my fight.”
He expanded on these feelings more recently during the UFC 324 media day (footage courtesy of MMA Junkie):
When asked about Sean O'Malley's stunt during their faceoff, Song urged, “I’m okay, but I think don’t bring racism in this sport. Just keep it a sport.”
"He already regretted it," Song continued. "He got an interview from China. He said he was sorry to fans."
The Controversial Stunt and Reactions
Sean O’Malley’s decision to wear a face mask during the press conference face-off was immediately met with criticism from fans and observers. At the same time, however, some people thought that the gesture was hilarious.
Here are some of the reactions from MMA fans to thei initial stunt (sourced from replies to ACD MMA on X):
“This is super racist, and you'd see MMA fanboys crying if it were the other way around.”
“Ngl this is insane but funny as f—.”
“I'm not surprised a bunch of racist losers actually think this is funny. Sean is a cornball.”
“It's… a mask. Just a mask. They existed and were widely used before COVID, and are still used for way more than COVID.”
“First ever funny O’Malley joke.”
“Blatant racism, Yadong sleeps him in 1.”
Many people online felt the move was a racially charged reference, linking Song Yadong’s nationality to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the time, Song responded with a pointed jab of his own on social media:
'Suga' Sean's Media Day Apology
Facing growing scrutiny, Sean O’Malley addressed the controversy during UFC 324 media day. The bantamweight champion offered an apology, clarifying the intent behind his masked appearance:
“My intentions were never harmful,” O’Malley stated. “It’s supposed to be a little silly joke, and it got taken out of [context]. I apologize if I offended anybody.”
With the verbal sparring now public, both fighters are attempting to shift the narrative back to their high-stakes matchup.
Song Yadong insists that his focus remains solely on the upcoming fight and his goal of victory.
(via Zuffa LLC)
“He’s trying to get inside my head like a mind game," he said during media day. "But I don’t care, I just focus on the fight. I don’t care. I just want to win the fight. Focused.”
For O’Malley, UFC 324 represents a critical opportunity to reclaim his status after recent setbacks. He believes a decisive win should put him back in line for a title shot against champion Petr Yan.
Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC-GettyImages
“It’s got to be me versus Petr next,” O’Malley said. “If I go out there and take care of business. If not, I don’t know. I just feel like I’m trying to manifest that. I think I go out there and put on a beautiful performance, me versus Petr at the White House is huge.”