On August 29, the UFC returns to Shanghai for a fight night event at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center. In the main event, former title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov takes on Song Yadong in the bantamweight division.
Multiple sources confirmed the fight to Heavy.com after an initial report by Red Fury MMA. The fight between the two top bantamweights is an unofficial title eliminator. The winner of the fight might get the opportunity to fight for the title later this year.
Fighting At Home Getting A Massive Opportunity
Song Yadong might be next in line with a win against Umar Nurmagomedov. The 28-year-old Chinese fan favorite won his most recent fight against Deiveson Figueiredo by guillotine choke and hopes to enter the top 3 of the division. The Chinese fighter began his UFC career in 2017. Since his debut, he has been seen as one of the biggest talents in the bantamweight division. Song beat good names like Marlon Vera and Ricky Simón in the division, but struggled every time he faced a fighter in the top 5. In 2024, Song got the opportunity to fight former champion Petr Yan.
After a great first round, Song slowed down and lost the fight via unanimous decision. Last year, Song looked on point with a stoppage win over former champion Henry Cejudo. Song got a new big opportunity from the UFC to take on former champion Sean O’Malley. The Chinese fighter fought well, but after three rounds, O’Malley took the unanimous decision victory. In his most recent fight, as earlier stated, he beat Figueiredo. Now Song takes on Umar Nurmagomedov. A win over the Russian would be his biggest and most important win today.
Umar Nurmagomedov Is A Future Champion, But When?
Nurmagomedov is two years older than his Chinese nemesis and has already fought once for the title. The cousin of former UFC champion and legend Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the biggest stars in the bantamweight division. Nurmagomedov signed with the UFC as an undefeated fighter in 2020, but it took until 2021 for him to make his debut. In his first five appearances, Nurmagomedov dominated opponents like Raoni Barcelos, Brian Kelleher, and Bekzat Almakhan. Because ranked contenders repeatedly avoided him, the UFC fast-tracked him into a high-stakes matchup against top contender Cory Sandhagen in Abu Dhabi in August 2024.
Nurmagomedov put on a masterful performance, defeating Sandhagen via unanimous decision and earning a title shot against then-champion Merab Dvalishvili in early 2025. Nurmagomedov started strong in the championship bout, but after he began gassing out in the third round, Dvalishvili capitalized on his legendary cardio. Dvalishvili took over the fight to win by unanimous decision, breaking Nurmagomedov’s undefeated streak. Though the Russian fighter campaigned for an immediate rematch, the UFC chose a different path. Nurmagomedov quickly rebounded with back-to-back unanimous decision victories over Mario Bautista and Deiveson Figueiredo. Now, a victory over Song Yadong would make his claim for a second title shot almost undeniable.
UFC Shanghai – August 29 (Shanghai Oriental Sports Center)
- Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Song Yadong
Possible Title Shot on the Line in UFC Shanghai Main Event