Song stuns Nurmagomedov with second-round KO at UFC Fight Night Shanghai

Shanghai: China's Song Yadong scored the biggest win of his UFC career with a stunning second-round knockout of former title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov in Shanghai on Saturday.

Sixth-ranked bantamweight Song (23-9-1, 1 NC) entered the fight as a sizeable underdog against No. 3 Nurmagomedov, whose only previous defeat came against then-champion Merab Dvalishvili.

Song Yadong (top) of China celebrates after winng the UFC Fight Night Bantamweight Bout (Main Event) 5 Rounds against Umar Nurmagomedov of Russia at the Oriental Sports Center in east China's Shanghai, Aug. 29, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ming)

In the first round, both men began cautiously, looking to launch their offense behind lead kicks. The tentative opening stanza changed when Nurmagomedov shot for a takedown and got Song's legs faster than the Chinese could sprawl.

However, Song was able to get back to his feet - no easy task against Nurmagomedov, after being taken down in the middle of the cage without spending much time on the ground, and without being in any danger.

The round ended with both men on their feet and remained relatively even, with Song perhaps landing the cleaner strikes.

In the second, Song successfully defended an early takedown attempt, much to the delight of the sold-out Oriental Sports Center. The pair began exchanging more freely on the feet, and Song started to shift the momentum in his favor.

Nurmagomedov shot again midway through the round, but Song was ready, stuffing the attempt before landing a hard right hand to the neck that dropped the Dagestani. Song then swarmed with a series of hammer fists to secure the knockout 148 into the round.

The victory puts Song firmly into bantamweight title contention and underlined the 28-year-old's development from a primarily striking-based fighter into a more complete mixed martial artist capable of dealing with Nurmagomedov's highly regarded wrestling.