Song Yadong Jumps Into Title Contention With Massive Upset At UFC Shanghai

In the main event of UFC Shanghai on August 29, Chinese native Song Yadong picked up the biggest win of his MMA career to date when he brutally knocked out top contender Umar Nurmagomedov in the second round of their bantamweight main event.

Song was not supposed to win this fight, as he entered the bout as high as a +500 betting underdog on some sportsbooks.

Related: UFC Shanghai Predictions for Nurmagomedov vs. Song

Not only did Song beat Nurmagomedov, but he did so in stunning fashion in front of his rapid fans, knocking the Russian out in the second round to immediately jump into title contention at 135 lbs.

It’s the type of impressive victory that can very well change the trajectory of Song’s UFC career, not to mention alter the fate of the UFC bantamweight division title picture.

Song Yadong Calls for UFC Bantamweight Title Shot

Following his shocking upset win over Nurmagomedov, Song called for a title shot in his next fight.

UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan is next set to take on Merab Dvalishvili in a trilogy bout in the main event of UFC 333 in October.

Depending on who wins that fight, Song could get the next title shot at 135 lbs.

Should Yan defeat Dvalishvili, the UFC will likely go with Sean O’Malley for the next title shot instead, because he holds a previous win over Yan and those two have unfinished business.

It also helps that O’Malley has a decision win over Song from UFC 324 in January 2026, and he has since knocked out Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Freedom 250 on the White House lawn to stay at the top of the weight class.

But if Dvalishvili beats Yan in their trilogy, then it’s unlikely that O’Malley will get the next title shot because he has already fought Dvalishvili twice and lost both of those fights.

The appetite for a trilogy bout in a series where one fighter has already won two fights is slim, so the UFC is unlikely to go that direction.

That means Song is going to be rooting for Dvalishvili to beat Yan at UFC 333, as it would likely push him into the No. 1 contender spot in the weight class, while O’Malley will have to sit back and wait to see what happens in that fight.

Regardless of how it plays out, there is no doubt that Song put himself in a terrific position in the weight class, as he is, at worst, one win away from fighting for the belt at 135 lbs.

He is 13-4-1 in the UFC, and at just 28 years of age, he is in the prime of his career.

So, do not be surprised at all to see Song have UFC gold wrapped around his waist in the next year.

He really is that good, and we all need to stop underrating him.

Umar Nurmagomedov Goes Back to the Drawing Board

On the flip side, Nurmagomedov has to now go back to the drawing board after losing to Song by KO at UFC Shanghai.

Nurmagomedov was a gigantic -600 betting favorite, so he was not only supposed to win this fight; he was supposed to dominate it.

Instead, he lost, and he lost brutally.

Nurmagomedov has now lost two of his last four fights, so he needs to get back into the win column to get back into title contention at 135 lbs, as there are other fighters like Song and O’Malley who are much further ahead of him in the title shot queue.

One issue to note with Nurmagomedov is that he has been knocked down three times in the UFC, so you have to wonder if he has a compromised chin, as his ability to take a shot appears to be much worse than some of the other contenders in the weight class, as Song and O’Malley have never been knocked down in their UFC careers, while Yand and Dvalishvili have each only been knocked down once.

Given how vicious a knockout loss that Nurmagomedov suffered at UFC Shanghai, look for him to take some time off before he steps back into the cage.

Look for him to take the remainder of 2026 off and come back in 2027, where he will be looking to improve on his 8-2 UFC record and show that he is still a top bantamweight fighter at age 30, and not let the rest of the division pass him by.

Related: Five UFC Fighters One Win Away from a Title Shot

This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Aug 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the Other Sports section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.