Umar Nurmagomedov faces Song Yadong in UFC Shanghai main event
Yahoo Sports • 2 min read • Latest: Jul 2, 2026, 3:43 PM
Last updated Jul 2, 2026
Umar Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong will headline UFC Fight Night on August 29 at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center in China. Nurmagomedov was initially scheduled to fight David Martinez at UFC Fight Night 282 on July 25, but Martinez withdrew due to injury. Nurmagomedov (20-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) recently bounced back from a title loss with a win over Deiveson Figueiredo. Song (23-9-1 MMA, 12-4-1 UFC) is coming off a Performance of the Night submission win over Figueiredo in May. The outcome could position the winner for a title shot in the bantamweight division soon.
- •Nurmagomedov has a 20-1 record, with one loss to Merab Dvalishvili.
- •Song holds a 23-9-1 record, including recent wins over Figueiredo and Henry Cejudo.
- •The event takes place at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center on August 29.
- •Nurmagomedov was pulled from July's UFC Abu Dhabi card due to opponent's injury.
- 3:43 PMYahoo Sports — Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Song Yadong headlines UFC Shanghai on Aug. 29
- 3:42 PMMMA Fighting — Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Song Yadong headlines UFC Shanghai
- 3:42 PMYahoo Sports — Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Song Yadong headlines UFC Shanghai
"LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 24: Umar Nurmagomedov of Russia prepares to face Deiveson Figueiredo of Brazil in a bantamweight bout during the UFC 324 event at T-Mobile Arena on January 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Bantamweights Umar Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong are set to headline the upcoming UFC Shanghai card scheduled for Aug. 29 in China. Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Thursday as the UFC returns to Shanghai for the second consecutive year. Red Fury MMA first reported the news on Instagram. The main event comes together after Nurmagomedov was originally scheduled to fight at the UFC Abu Dhabi card scheduled in July, but his opponent David Martinez was forced out with an injury. The UFC sought a replacement, but ultimately decided to pull Nurmagomedov and match him up against Song instead with the fight now headlining the card in Shanghai. Overall, Nurmagomedov holds a 20-1 record with his only loss coming via decision to former bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. As for Song, he gets a chance to take a step up the division after recently submitting former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Macau in May. Song has gone 2-2 in his past four fights with wins over Figueiredo and Henry Cejudo, and losses to Sean O’Malley and Petr Yan. The matchup between Nurmagomedov and Song puts the winner in a great position to potentially challenge for the bantamweight title in the near future. With the main event set for UFC Shanghai, the promotion is expected to announce more fights in the coming weeks.
"Umar Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong will get their wish of throwing down.
"Umar Nurmagomedov takes on Song Yadong at UFC Shanghai
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsJul 2, 2026, 3:43 PMUmar Nurmagomedov vs. Song Yadong headlines UFC Shanghai on Aug. 29
Umar Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong will get their wish of throwing down.
- MMA FightingJul 2, 2026, 3:42 PMUmar Nurmagomedov vs. Song Yadong headlines UFC Shanghai
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 24: Umar Nurmagomedov of Russia prepares to face Deiveson Figueiredo of Brazil in a bantamweight bout during the UFC 324 event at T-Mobile Arena on January 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Bantamweights Umar Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong are set to headline the upcoming UFC Shanghai card scheduled for Aug. 29 in China. Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Thursday as the UFC returns to Shanghai for the second consecutive year. Red Fury MMA first reported the news on Instagram. The main event comes together after Nurmagomedov was originally scheduled to fight at the UFC Abu Dhabi card scheduled in July, but his opponent David Martinez was forced out with an injury. The UFC sought a replacement, but ultimately decided to pull Nurmagomedov and match him up against Song instead with the fight now headlining the card in Shanghai. Overall, Nurmagomedov holds a 20-1 record with his only loss coming via decision to former bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. As for Song, he gets a chance to take a step up the division after recently submitting former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Macau in May. Song has gone 2-2 in his past four fights with wins over Figueiredo and Henry Cejudo, and losses to Sean O’Malley and Petr Yan. The matchup between Nurmagomedov and Song puts the winner in a great position to potentially challenge for the bantamweight title in the near future. With the main event set for UFC Shanghai, the promotion is expected to announce more fights in the coming weeks.
- Yahoo SportsJul 2, 2026, 3:42 PMUmar Nurmagomedov vs. Song Yadong headlines UFC Shanghai
Umar Nurmagomedov takes on Song Yadong at UFC Shanghai
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