Bantamweights are headed to China.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov will head into enemy territory next month when he collides with No. 5-ranked Song Yadong in the main event of UFC Shanghai on Sat., Aug. 29, 2026, inside Shanghai Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China.
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Red Fury MMA was first to report the news, which MMAmania.com can confirm.
Nurmagomedov was previously linked to a fight with David Martinez at UFC Abu Dhabi; however, Martinez withdrew from the bout, leaving Nurmagomedov in need of a new opponent.
Now, he has one.
Nurmagomedov (20-1) will compete in his second UFC main event when he steps inside the Octagon in Shanghai.
The 30-year-old Dagestani contender is riding a two-fight win streak, with victories over Deiveson Figueiredo and Mario Bautista since losing to Merab Dvalishvili for the Bantamweight championship at UFC 311. Prior to that title fight setback, Nurmagomedov had rattled off 18 straight wins, including six inside UFC.
Yadong (23-9-1), meanwhile, will headline his second consecutive UFC main event in his home country of China and fight for the third time in 2026.
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“The Kung Fu Kid” got himself back in the win column in his last outing, submitting the previously mentioned Figueiredo in the second round at UFC Macau (watch highlights). Prior to that, Yadong dropped a competitive unanimous decision to Sean O’Malley at UFC 324.
The 28-year-old Chinese standout is currently 12-4-1 inside the promotion and now gets another massive opportunity in front of his home crowd.
No other fights have been reported for UFC Shanghai just yet, but expect the promotion to load the card with several Asian fighters.
To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.
