Song Yadong KOs Umar Nurmagomedov

Song Yadong knocked out Umar Nurmagomedov at 1:48 of Round 2 in the UFC Fight Night 286 main event on Saturday in Shanghai. Nurmagomedov walked in a -600 favorite, CBS Sports reported, and left the cage on the wrong side of one of the year's biggest upsets. Song (24-9-1, 1 NC; 13-4-1 UFC) finished him with a shovel uppercut to the side of the neck as Nurmagomedov (now 20-2, 8-2 UFC) dropped his head for a takedown, Sherdog wrote. The right hand landed just behind the ear, CBS added, and a few follow-up punches brought the stoppage.

A clash of heads in the second opened a gash above Song's right eye. It did not matter. Nurmagomedov had taken him down in Round 1 and escaped a guillotine before Song swept back to the feet. In Round 2 Song stuffed the next shot with a sprawl, then timed the uppercut when Nurmagomedov ducked in again. The arena in Shanghai went up. Song left the cage to celebrate with the crowd.

How did Song Yadong knock out Umar Nurmagomedov?

Power, timing, and a failed takedown. Nurmagomedov was hunting a second bantamweight title shot after losing a January 2025 decision to Merab Dvalishvili. A win here was supposed to put him back in line. Instead Song, coming off a contentious January loss to Sean O'Malley and a May submission of former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, walked through the favorite in front of his home crowd. "Who's next?" Song said afterward, per CBS. "Nobody believed in me, but all my teammates believed in me. I trusted myself and I got the win. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next month, but I will be the first male Chinese world champion. Give me the title shot."

Search Song Yadong knockout or Umar Nurmagomedov loss and that is the clip: 1:48 of Round 2, uppercut, lights out. Denise Gomes then brutally stopped Xiaonan Yan in the co-main at 4:49 of Round 1, Sherdog and CBS both had, extending Gomes' streak to five.

What the Song Yadong KO means for bantamweight

The title picture just tilted. Nurmagomedov is no longer the next man up. Song is not automatically next either (Sherdog still has him a win or two away), but a -600 favorite getting slept in Shanghai is the kind of result that jumps a queue. Dvalishvili lost the belt to Petr Yan, with a trilogy later this year, CBS noted. Song just took the other side of that conversation.

UFC's Saturday board already had Anthony Hernandez vs. Robert Rodrigues on the Fight Night calendar. This Shanghai main event is the one that will get replayed. Song wanted the shot. Nurmagomedov wanted the reset. Only one of those wishes survived Round 2.

Song Yadong vs Umar Nurmagomedov FAQ

Did Song Yadong knock out Umar Nurmagomedov? Yes. UFC Fight Night 286 in Shanghai, 1:48 of Round 2, by punch, Sherdog, CBS Sports, and Yahoo Sports all reported Saturday.

What are Song Yadong's and Umar's records now? Song is 24-9-1 (1 NC), 13-4-1 in the UFC. Nurmagomedov falls to 20-2, 8-2 in the UFC.

Was Umar Nurmagomedov favored? Yes. CBS Sports had him a huge -600 favorite to lock up another title shot before the knockout.