UFC bantamweight contender shared his reaction after his shocking knockout loss to Song Yadong in the main event of UFC Shanghai.
Despite entering the bout as a massive -600 betting favorite, Nurmagomedov was shockingly knocked out in the second round by Song, who was a +450 betting underdog. It was one of the biggest upsets of the year, and it’s the type of signature win that could earn Song a title shot at 135 lbs.
It was a scary knockout as well, as Nurmagomedov was punched in the neck area and went down immediately, leading to some concern among the fans in the arena.
Thankfully, it appears that the Russian fighter is going to be okay.
Umar Nurmagomedov Reacts to KO Loss
Taking to his social media following UFC Shanghai, Nurmagomedov shared his reaction after being brutally knocked out by Song.
“I’m doing fine. Alhamdulillah. A huge thank you to everyone who is writing. I’ll learn from my mistakes. And I’ll be back,” Nurmagomedov wrote on his Instagram.
What’s Next for Umar Nurmagomedov?
This was a really tough loss for Nurmagomedov, who likely would have been next in line to get a title shot at 135 lbs had he defeated Song, as was expected of him.
Instead, he was knocked out devastatingly in the second round by Song, who was not expected to win the fight.
Now, it’s back to the drawing board for Nurmagomedov.
The good news for Nurmagomedov is that he is still ranked in the top 10 of the UFC bantamweight division and, at age 30, he has time to rebound and get back into the win column to once again become a title contender at 135 lbs.
The bad news is that he is far behind several other contenders now regarding getting a bantamweight title shot, with Song and Sean O’Malley both above him, as are UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili, who fight at UFC 333 in the co-main event of that card for bantamweight gold.
For now, look for Nurmagomedov to take some time off and likely not fight again for the rest of 2026 as he recovers from this knockout.
Umar Nurmagomedov Reacts After KO Loss to Song Yadong