Yadong Song crushes Umar Nurmagomedov in big upset at UFC Shanghai

Yadong Song pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent UFC bantamweight history, stunning heavy favorite Umar Nurmagomedov with a devastating second-round knockout at UFC Fight Night 286 in Shanghai, China, on August 29, 2026. The Chinese superstar's perfectly timed right uppercut to the side of Nurmagomedov's neck at the 1:48 mark of Round 2 rendered the Dagestani fighter unconscious immediately, sending the Shanghai crowd into raptures.

Song, fighting before a home crowd at the Oriental Sports Center, had been the underdog against the No. 3-ranked Nurmagomedov. Though Nurmagomedov landed a takedown and nearly secured back control in a first round where he appeared to be controlling the action, Song remained composed and capitalized on a critical moment when Nurmagomedov dropped his level searching for another takedown in the second. The counterattack was clinical—a shovel uppercut that caught Nurmagomedov flush and ended the fight instantly.

The evening's co-main event saw rising Brazilian Denise Gomes extend her winning streak to five fights with a stunning first-round knockout of former strawweight title challenger Xiaonan Yan at 4:49. Gomes landed a picture-perfect counter elbow to Yan's jaw that dropped her, and follow-up strikes forced the referee to intervene.

Former Rizin champion Kai Asakura also impressed in his return to form, defeating Chinese veteran Qileng Aori by second-round TKO at 34 seconds. Asakura landed a left head kick that rocked Aori, then finished with follow-up punches and knees.

In the main card opener, undefeated Bilal Hasan (1-0 UFC) earned his second UFC victory in 18 days by knocking out previously unbeaten Nilson Rojas in the second round with a devastating right cross. Light heavyweight debutant Ce Liu (1-0 UFC), a decorated K-1 striker, dominated Levi Rodrigues with a dominant first-round KO at 4:26, landing a massive right hook that sent Rodrigues face-first to the canvas. Flyweight Su Mudaerji edged Alex Perez via unanimous decision (29-28 across the board) in a rematch of their May no-contest, controlling the striking and grappling exchanges over three rounds.