Nurmagomedov vows to keep chasing UFC gold after Yadong Song knockout

Umar Nurmagomedov insists his ambition to become a UFC champion is intact despite being knocked out cold by Yadong Song in the second round of their Shanghai main event this past August — a result that stunned the MMA world and sent the home crowd into a frenzy.

Nurmagomedov had entered the fight as a massive favourite, but Song pulled off one of the year’s biggest upsets. Speaking to Red Corner MMA, the Dagestani fighter addressed the defeat head-on and made clear it has done nothing to diminish his long-term goals.

“It would be fair to say that my ambitions have never gone down,” Nurmagomedov said. “Since I decided to become a fighter and I had a dream to become a UFC champion, it has never weakened. This ambition has always been with me. I have always tried to improve in every aspect of the sport. It was never like, ‘Oh, I lost.’ I have always worked hard, brother. What should I do about it? The Almighty didn’t [grant me the win]. And there’s no way to take it back. All that’s left is to stay patient and keep working.”

The loss to Song is only the second of Nurmagomedov’s professional career. His first came in a UFC title challenge against Merab Dvalishvili last year. He had responded to that setback emphatically, stringing together victories over Mario Bautista and Deiveson Figueiredo before running into Song.

Now holding a 20-2 professional record, Nurmagomedov is set to return to competition this weekend in Abu Dhabi, where he will face Urijah Faber in a wrestling match under the Real American Freestyle banner — a non-MMA outing that nonetheless keeps him active as he plots his route back to UFC title contention.