Song Yadong knocks out Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Shanghai, seeks title shot

Song Yadong pulled off a massive upset Saturday, knocking out heavily favored Umar Nurmagomedov in the men's bantamweight main event of UFC Fight Night in Shanghai.

Song Yadong pulled off a stunning upset in the UFC Shanghai main event.

SHANGHAI, CHINA - AUGUST 29: (L-R) Song Yadong of China punches Umar Nurmagomedov of Russia in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center on August 29, 2026 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Song Yadong destroyed Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Shanghai and now he wants his title shot. The Chinese star scored the biggest win of his career to close out Saturday’s event, catching Nurmagomedov early in the second round with a right hand uppercut knockout punch to leave the one-time title challenger flat on the canvas. Watch the unreal finish below. Song Yadong just put Umar Nurmagomedov to SLEEP at #UFCShanghai! Does the bantamweight division have a new No. 1 contender?? pic.twitter.com/uYSfOzMPfr — MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) August 29, 2026 In his post-fight interview, Song didn’t mince words: “Give me the title shot!” It will be hard to argue against Song’s case after what he did to Nurmagomedov. Song, a longtime contender who was yet to defeat a ranked opponent in their prime, entered Saturday as a sizable underdog, and was down on the scorecards after an action-packed first round. Nurmagomedov mixed his striking and wrestling well, but Song escaped the opening frame without much damage and defended well against Nurmagomedov’s grappling. Song was rewarded for his preparation and fearlessness in Round 2, stuffing an early Nurmagomedov takedown and later perfectly timing an uppercut to catch Nurmagomedov as he changed levels. The blow caught Nurmagomedov square on the side of his jaw, rattling his skull, and instantly robbing him of his consciousness. The official time of the stoppage was 1:48 into Round 2. That’s two straight wins now for Song (24-9-1, 1 NC), while Nurmagomedov (20-2) sees a two-fight win streak snapped and his hopes of another title shot fall further out of reach. The UFC bantamweight title is set to be up for grabs at UFC 333 on Oct. 24, when champion Petr Yan meets Merab Dvalishvili in a trilogy bout, and Song is now in prime position to potentially serve as a backup or await the winner.

Song Yadong made a championship statement at UFC Shanghai

Song Yadong delivered perhaps the Upset of the Year when he left Umar Nurmagomedov cold in the UFC Shanghai main event.