Song Yadong knocks out Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Shanghai

Chinese bantamweight fighter Song Yadong delivered the biggest victory of his career on Saturday, stunning former title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov with a second-round knockout in the main event of UFC Fight Night at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center. The upset win, achieved in front of his home crowd, capped a night of significant action in the UFC's return to China. Song, a 5-to-1 underdog, improved his professional record to 24-9-1 with one no contest. He secured the victory at 1:48 of the second round with a powerful right uppercut that left Nurmagomedov unconscious before he hit the canvas. The finish marked Song's first knockout since 2023 and his first appearance in Shanghai since his UFC debut there in 2017. "I believe in myself, and my team believed that I would win this fight," Song said through an interpreter. "They told me I would knock this guy out, and I did it." The loss was only the second of Nurmagomedov's career, with his only previous defeat coming by unanimous decision in a title match against Merab Dvalishvili in January 2025. Following the knockout, a brief confrontation occurred inside the Octagon.