UFC Shanghai Main Event Revealed

Former bantamweight title challenger and number 2 ranked Umar Nurmagomedov (20-1) will headline UFC Shanghai on August 29th against No. 5-ranked bantamweight and China’s own Song Yadong (23-9-1), with the main event set for the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center.

Nurmagomedov had been linked to a fight with David Martinez at UFC Abu Dhabi before Martinez withdrew, forcing a change of opponent. He now heads to China for his second UFC main event, riding a two-fight winning streak following victories over Deiveson Figueiredo and Mario Bautista — both coming after his bantamweight title loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311 last January. Prior to that setback, the 30-year-old Dagestani had won 18 consecutive bouts, including six inside the UFC.

Yadong, meanwhile, headlines a second straight UFC main event on home soil and fights for the third time in 2026. The 28-year-old got back in the win column at UFC Macau, submitting Figueiredo in the second round, having previously dropped a unanimous decision to Sean O’Malley at UFC 324 in January.