Song Yadong Pulls Off The Upset Over Umar Nurmagomedov In Shanghai

In the main event of the UFC’s most recent trip the Shanghai, China this weekend, Song Yadong defied the odds and knocked out Umar Nurmagomedov in the second round with a stiff uppercut.

As the pair entered the octagon in front of the roaring crowd inside the Oriental Sports Center, Nurmagomedov was listed as the massive -625 favourite to win over the heavy +650 underdog in Song. But despite the odds, Song found his opportunity through an opening in Nurmagomedov’s defense, and capitalized in dramatic fashion with a well-timed short right hand that caught his opponent just as he was changing levels for the anticipated takedown.

The performance of a lifetime.

[ @SongYadongLFG | #UFCShanghai ] pic.twitter.com/IMK3d9dH8w

— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2026

Heading into the bout, Nurmagomedov was seeking his third straight win, with his most recent coming by a unanimous decision over former 125-pound champion Deiveson Figueiredo. This was the second straight win since his failed attempt to grasp the bantamweight title in a match with Merab Dvalishvili in 2025, which was his first career loss. Now, the Dagestan wrestler has suffered his second loss, moving his overall professional record to 20-2 (8-2 UFC).

Meanwhile, Song held the No. 6 rank at 135-pounds, but now that he has beaten the No. 2 contender in Nurmagomedov, he should be looking at a considerable jump up the ladder. Through the victory, Song earned his 13th UFC win and added a 24th to his overall professional record. This also serves as Song’s second straight UFC finish, defeating Deiveson Figueiredo by guillotine choke submission in May.

UFC Shanghai Full Card Results:

Main Card:

Song Yadong def. Umar Nurmagomedov via KO (uppercut) – Round 2, 1:48

Denise Gomes def. Yan Xiaonan via TKO (punch) – Round 1, 4:49

Kai Asakura def. Aori Qileng via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 0:34

Su Mudaerji def. Alex Perez via Decision (Unanimous) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Liu Ce def. Levi Rodrigues Jr. via KO (Punch) – Round 1, 4:26

Bilal Hasan def. Nilson Rojas via KO (Punch) – Round 2, 2:28

Prelims:

Andre Lima def. Namsrai Batbayar via submission (Guillotine) – Round 3, 3:03

Rei Tsuruya def. Kevin Borjas via submission (Rear Naked Choke) – Round 1, 4:14

Sean Woodson def. Jack Jenkins via Decision (Split) – (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Francesco Nuzzi def. Xiao Long via TKO (Punches) – Round 1, 1:00

Hector Santiago def. Lawrence Lui via KO (Punches) – Round 2, 0:53

Julia Polastri def. Xiong Jingnan via KO (Head Kick) – Round 1, 3:06

Cam Nelson def. Ding Meng via Decision (Unanimous) – (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)