Zuffa LLC
Umar Nurmagomedov has spoken out after suffering the first knockout loss of his pro MMA career this past Saturday.
Nurmagomedov went one-on-one with Song Yadong inside SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center in the main event of UFC Shanghai. Nurmagomedov had some success controlling Yadong initially, but the “The Kung Fu Kid” eventually broke free and delivered a right hand before the second stanza.
Disaster struck for Nurmagomedov in the second round, as he was dropped by a punch when shooting in for a takedown. Yadong finished the fight with some follow-up punches, and Nurmagomedov was out cold for the first time.
Nurmagomedov delivered an update on his Instagram page, and he’s ready to embrace the comeback journey.
“I’m doing fine. Alhamdulillah,” Nurmagomedov wrote. “A huge thank you to everyone who writes. I’ll work on my mistakes. And I’ll be back.”
It’s the second setback of Nurmagomedov’s career. He had an unbeaten record of 18-0 prior to falling short in his bid for UFC bantamweight gold against Merab Dvalishvili in early 2025. Nurmagomedov rebounded with wins over Mario Bautista and former UFC flyweight titleholder Deiveson Figueiredo. The upset loss to Yadong will force Nurmagomedov to slide down the Meta UFC rankings panel, which is crucial given that he was the No. 2-ranked bantamweight prior to Saturday’s defeat.
Yadong earned his second straight “Performance of the Night” bonus thanks to his efforts against Nurmagomedov, and he has reestablished himself as a top contender. Yadong is calling for a title shot, as he still believes he should’ve had his hand raised over Sean O’Malley in their UFC 324 clash back in January. For now, Yadong will get to enjoy his imminent return to the top five at 135 pounds.
Do you think Umar Nurmagomedov’s UFC title aspirations have been dashed, or is there still time? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
