The Octagon is set for a return to China this Saturday, August 29, 2026, as the UFC presents a pivotal bantamweight clash from the Pudong Development Bank Shanghai Oriental Sports Center. Perennial bantamweight contenders Umar Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong will headline a card stacked with international talent and divisional implications.
For North American viewers, this is an early morning event due to the time difference in China. Here’s your complete guide on how to catch all the action.
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Song YadongTroy Taormina-Imagn Images
Start Times
Date: Saturday, August 29, 2026
Location: Pudong Development Bank Shanghai Oriental Sports Center, Shanghai, China
Main Card Start Time: 6 a.m. ET / 3 a.m. PT
Prelims Start Time: 3 a.m. ET / 12 a.m. PT
Streaming: Paramount+
Octagon Walk Times
While the main card is scheduled to start at 6 a.m. ET / 3 a.m. PT, the main event walks are projected for approximately 8 a.m. ET / 5 a.m. PT, depending on the length of the earlier bouts.
For the entire fight card and an in-depth main event breakdown, refer to the previously written UFC Fight Night: Shanghai article.
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Main Event Breakdown
The main event presents a fascinating stylistic matchup between two top-tier bantamweights. Umar Nurmagomedov is a relentless grappler who faces a durable and powerful striker in Song Yadong.
Umar NurmagomedovStephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
The key to the fight, as with many striker-versus-grappler matchups, will be whether Song’s takedown defense can keep the fight standing, allowing his boxing to dictate the pace, or if Nurmagomedov can secure takedowns and utilize his dominant positional control.
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Co-Main Event
The co-main event will be a women’s strawweight bout featuring China’s own Yan Xiaonan taking on Brazil’s Denise Gomes. Both women are phenomenal strikers for the division, with this strawweight bout matchup promising to be a treat for fans of entertaining striking battles.
With Yan Xiaonan fighting in her home country and coming in as a slight favorite, she will look to use her experience to stifle the aggressive and powerful style of the rising contender Gomes. Yan’s 2023 knockout win over former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade stands out as her most impressive performance to date:
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Gomes, on the other hand, has had more recent success than the veteran Yan. Her finish over Elise Reed in 2025 showcased her power in both hands:
With Gomes being over 10 years younger than Yan, this fight will be a matchup of a veteran’s precision against a young knockout artist.
Fights to Watch
While the fight card may not have the star power of numbered events, there will be multiple UFC debuts that are well worth staying up for.
Liu Ce, a former kickboxer who fought for the legendary Japanese kickboxing promotion K-1, will make his UFC debut at light heavyweight against the more experienced Levi Rodrigues Jr.
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Check out some of his K-1 highlights (via UFC Asia on X):
Another UFC debutante to keep an eye on will be Bilal Hasan, the flyweight who won his UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in spectacular fashion. As entertaining as Hasan is, he will face fellow undefeated UFC rookie Nilson Rojas, who also has fight-finishing potential (h/t Caposa on X):
In the prelims, Mongolian prospect Namsrai Batbayar faces the undefeated Andre Lima in the ever-entertaining flyweight division. Japan’s Rei Tsuruya also faces Kevin Borjas in a fight that promises high-paced action and could serve as a showcase for some of the division’s best up-and-coming talent.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the MMA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
