Song defends Usman Nurmagomedov after cage rush that followed Umar's knockout loss

Yadong Song has defended Usman Nurmagomedov following the PFL lightweight champion’s controversial cage entry at UFC Shanghai, insisting the Russian was acting on instinct rather than aggression after watching his brother Umar get knocked out.

Song entered the bout as a heavy underdog against Umar Nurmagomedov (20-2), but produced one of the year’s biggest upsets by dropping the unbeaten bantamweight with an uppercut in the second round. Usman immediately vaulted the cage and sprinted toward his unconscious brother, nearly colliding with Song in the process. Slow-motion footage appeared to show Usman loading up on an elbow as Song ran past him, though he did not follow through.

The incident sparked a wave of criticism online, with many accusing Usman of attempting to attack Song. The Chinese fighter, now 24-9-1, pushed back firmly on that reading of events.

“Watching the slow motion, it looked like he was turning around to throw an elbow or something, but actually I understand because they are brothers, you know?” Song said. “The internet said he wanted to maliciously attack me; he just thought I was going over to attack him. Because he went over to check on his brother, and suddenly someone runs over, as you’d definitely react that way.”

Song also pointed to the role of a ringside official in escalating the confusion. According to the bantamweight, an official rushed toward Usman the moment he cleared the cage, startling him before Song even reached the scene.

“He thought I was going to attack him,” Song added. “Because when he went to see it, a person suddenly ran over. You can see it in slow motion; he closed his eyes. And then I ran over there and he defended it. That’s it.”

The explanation paints the moment as a collision of panic and protective instinct rather than any deliberate attempt at retaliation. Song, nicknamed “The Kung Fu Kid”, appears to bear no ill will toward Usman and frames the episode as an understandable, if chaotic, reaction from a brother caught off guard in a high-pressure environment.