Song Yadong stuns Umar Nurmagomedov with uppercut KO at UFC Shanghai to force title picture rethink

Song Yadong knocked out Umar Nurmagomedov with a second-round uppercut in the main event of UFC Shanghai on Saturday, delivering one of the most significant upsets in recent bantamweight history and thrusting himself into title contention at 135 pounds.

Nurmagomedov had entered the fight widely regarded as the division’s next champion, his grappling-heavy style considered a near-impossible puzzle for Song to solve. Instead, Song neutralised the takedown threat throughout the first round before timing a sharp uppercut precisely as Nurmagomedov changed levels for another shot in the second, putting the Russian down for the finish in front of a home crowd.

“Amazing. I’m feeling amazing,” Song told reporters after the bout. “I feel like this is the best moment in my life, right now. I knocked out Umar. Everybody’s saying he’s the best fighter and he has very good grappling. Everyone’s saying he’s a future champion. See what happened? I knocked him out. I’m so proud of myself.”

The finish was no accident. Song credited his boxing coach Rudy Hernandez and Team Alpha Male for identifying the specific opening before the fight even began. “Rudy told me before the fight, ‘You can finish this guy with an uppercut,’” Song explained. “There was an uppercut in my mind I’m looking for. There!”

The victory is Song’s second consecutive win since dropping a decision to Sean O’Malley in January, and it repositions him as a genuine title contender. Champion Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili are scheduled to meet in a trilogy bout at UFC 333 in October, with O’Malley potentially in line for the winner. Song now appears to be next in the queue — and he has unfinished business with Yan specifically, having lost a decision to him in 2024.

“I like a rematch with Petr, because we fought back two years ago,” Song said. “I was too young; I was too rushed. But I feel like [I lost by] just a little bit. I can win that fight. So, if a rematch, I can also knock him out, I believe.”

For Nurmagomedov, the loss is a significant setback to what had appeared to be an inevitable title run. For Song, performing in front of his home crowd in China and finishing the division’s most hyped prospect, it is the defining night of his career.