Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will once again venture away from the familiarity of its Meta Apex facility and ship its cast and crew across the world for the upcoming UFC Shanghai fight card, locked and loaded for tomorrow (Sat., Aug. 29, 2026) from inside Shanghai Indoor Stadium in Shanghai, China, featuring a 135-pound headliner pitting former title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov against No. 6-ranked contender Yadong Song.
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Before we dive into the main and co-main event, which includes the 205-pound showdown between women’s strawweight sluggers Xiaonan Yan and Denise Gomes, check out Andrew Richardson’s “X-Factor” breakdown for the rest of the UFC Shanghai main card by clicking here. Get all the latest “Nurmagomedov vs. Song” odds and betting props courtesy of FanDuel right here. For UFC Shanghai live results and play-by-play click here.
Let’s talk shop.
135 lbs.: Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Song Yadong
Umar Nurmagomedov
Record: 20-1 | Age: 30 | Betting line: -550
Wins: 2 KO/TKO, 7 SUB, 11 DEC | Losses: 0 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 1 DEC
Height: 5’8“ | Reach: 69” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.86 | Striking accuracy: 56%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 1.86 | Striking Defense: 61%
Takedown Average: 4.03 (46% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 79%
Current Ranking: No. 2 | Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Deiveson Figueiredo
Song “Kung Fu Kid” Yadong
Record: 23-9-1, 1 NC | Age: 28 | Betting line: +400
Wins: 9 KO/TKO, 4 SUB, 10 DEC | Losses: 2 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 6 DEC, 1 DQ
Height: 5’8” | Reach: 67” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.34 | Striking accuracy: 43%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.81 | Striking Defense: 55%
Takedown Average: 0.82 (41% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 73%
Current Ranking: No. 6 | Last fight: Submission win over Deiveson Figueiredo
Umar Nurmagomedov is probably closer to a bantamweight title shot than UFC Shanghai opponent Yadong Song, even though he came up shot against Merab Dvalishvili in his first crack at the crown in the UFC 311 co-main event back in early 2025. It was a close contest, with Dvalishvili pulling away in the second half of the fight. I guess that all depends on what happens with Petr Yan, who is now division champion, as the promotion may want “No Mercy” to first complete his trilogy against “The Machine.” But outside of his UFC 311 loss, Nurmagomedov has been pretty much unstoppable, rebounding with consecutive victories over ranked contenders Mario Bautista and Deiveson Figueiredo. He also holds a decision nod over No. 5-ranked Cory Sandhagen, so a clean, uncontroversial win against Song will all but cement his place atop the 135-pound weight class. You can argue that Sean O’Malley is the bigger star, but he looked terrible in his two title fights against Dvalishvili, so he would need Yan to retain to keep himself in the conversation.
Or they can book Nurmagomedov vs. O’Malley while Yan and Dvalishvili settle their feud.
“I don’t care about that fight, whether they’re gonna fight or not,” Nurmagomedov said (via UFC.com). “For myself, I want to show my best version [at UFC Shanghai] and I will do it, Inshallah. If Petr is gonna win, I think they should give the chance for O’Malley. They’re gonna do the rematch. I expect that. If Merab is gonna win, I think I’m next. Depends on how they’re gonna fight, and after this fight, I think there is just two guys and we’ll see. I’m expecting maybe Petr is gonna beat him again and maybe they will try and do revenge with me and Merab. Maybe it’s gonna happen like that. Anyways, I’m gonna be ready — I will train, I will fight with anybody.”
Yadong Song is a well-rounded fighter who hits with power and is just coming into his fighting prime at age 28. That said, the “Kung Fu Kid” has struggled to stay consistent after working his way up the 135-pound ladder and continues to lose to the top half of the bantamweight division, registering losses to Petr Yan, Sean O’Malley, and Corey Sandhagen. There is certainly no shame in losing to the elite fighters of his division, but I would put Umar Nurmagomedov in that same class, which does not bode well for Song on fight night. Umar averages more than four takedowns per three rounds of action and Song has been dragged to the mat by everyone from Deiveson Figueiredo to Kyler Phillips, so I think it’s a matter of when — not if — he gets dropped by Nurmagomedov. I also think Umar is good enough on the feet to keep it standing when he needs to, regardless of Song’s power. Outside of the hometown fans cheering his every move, I’m not sure where Song has an advantage or even a path to victory and he may spend a majority of this bout fighting from his back.
“Umar is a very tough guy,” Song said at the UFC Shanghai media day. “I said he’s going to be very easy for me, but every fighter has to say whatever they’re going to say. It’s going to be a big challenge. Everyone knows he’s a very good grappler, but I’ve trained grappling for 15 years. I just prefer to knock people out. If you want to grapple, let’s grapple. Before camp started, I went to Georgia to train with Olympic champs and world champs. They taught me a lot, and they know what Khabib’s team does, so they taught me some tricks. I feel super ready for this fight. This is a big opportunity for me. With this fight, I will get a title shot. I feel good. This year, I feel very healthy mentally and physically. I have another new coach and a new nutritionist. This is the reason why I’m able to fight so much this year.”
Song has been grappling for 15 years and still got taken down by Figueiredo, Yan, and even Ricky Simon, so I’m not sure that means anything. I also don’t think a couple of weeks with Olympic wrestlers is going to prepare you for the Dagestani curse, any more than spending six weeks training with Canelo Alvarez would teach Song how to knock out Sean O’Malley. This is Nurmagomedov’s fight to lose.
Prediction: Nurmagomedov def. Song by decision
115 lbs.: Xiaonan Yan vs. Denise Gomes
Xiaonan “Fury” Yan
Record: 19-5, 1 NC | Age: 37 | Betting line: -155
Wins: 8 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 10 DEC | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 3 DEC
Height: 5’5“ | Reach: 63” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.69 | Striking accuracy: 45%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.23 | Striking Defense: 60%
Takedown Average: 0.84 (73% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 64%
Current Ranking: No. 4 | Last fight: Unanimous decision loss to Virna Jandiroba
Denise Gomes
Record: 12-3 | Age: 26 | Betting line: +130
Wins: 7 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 5 DEC | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 2 DEC
Height: 5’2“ | Reach: 63” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.43 | Striking accuracy: 49%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.16 | Striking Defense: 51%
Takedown Average: 1.45 (34% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 66%
Current Ranking: No. 9 | Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Tecia Pennington
Xiaonan Yan is to Zhang Weili what Coke Zero is to Coca-Cola. Almost as good as the real thing — but you can tell something’s missing. Yan has been hovering in and around the division Top 5 for years and even had a chance to defeat Weili at UFC 300 but couldn’t get the job done. “Fury” was quick to rebound with a decision win over Tabatha Ricci at UFC Macau, only to give it right back against Virna Jandiroba at UFC 314. I don’t have a lot of great things to say about Yan because she’s not really great at anything. Similarly, I can’t really say anything bad about her either, because she’s not really bad at any particular aspect of MMA. She can strike, grapple, has good cardio, just no killer instinct. Eight of her nine wins under the UFC banner have gone to the judges’ scorecards and I’m not sure that’s going to change at UFC Shanghai. On the plus side, Yan has only been finished twice in 25 professional fights, so we can add durability to her list of positive attributes. How much longer that lasts now that Yan is 37 remains to be seen. Helping her cause is a 2022 victory over Mackenzie Dern, though the Dern of 2022 was probably nowhere close to the fighter she is now in terms of growth and maturity.
“This feels special for me, especially in Shanghai, because my debut for UFC was in Shanghai,” Yan told UFC.com. “After nine years, I’m coming back. Every fight, we learn a lot of lessons. From the last fight, I think the most important thing is don’t be hesitant. You’ve got to trust yourself. Don’t wait too much. I was waiting maybe because I got caught with the takedown in the last fight. I really, really like this opponent, because there are a lot of similarities between us. We both like to strike and throw heavy shots. She’s young and aggressive, and I like opponents like that, because it’s easier for me to show my aggression in the striking department. I don’t think I’m far away [from a title shot]. Maybe after this one, one more victory. Or, if I get a really good performance this time, the next one could be a title fight.”
Denise Gomes is just 26 years old but has already been fighting in UFC for over four years, thanks to an impressive performance against fellow Brazilian Rayanne dos Santos on Season 6 of Dana White’s “Contender Series” back in summer 2022. Gomes struggled early, posting a 2-2 record in her first four fights, but has since found her footing and rattled off four straight wins. That includes her unanimous decision victory over veteran bruiser Tecia Pennington at UFC Vegas 111 late last year. Gomes is an aggressive striker who loves to bang but has yet to register a single submission in her professional career, a stat that is unlikely to change against Yan in Shanghai. I still expect her to utilize her offensive wrestling, something she did to great success in wins over Elise Reed and Bruna Brasil, I’m just not sure she’s strong enough to keep a fighter with Yan’s strength from popping right back up once the action hits the floor.
“I’m coming off a four-fight winning streak, and that gives me a lot of confidence for this fight,” Gomes told UFC.com. “Yan is a great opponent for me to show that I can do at a high level, with the girls who are at the top, what I have already been doing. So, I’m confident, and I’m really looking forward to seeing myself in action and to showcase everything I’ve been training for, everything I’ve been dedicating myself to, and show how I’ve grown, which has given me a lot of confidence. Her style really matches up well against mine. I’m a striker, and this is a chance to show that I’m one of the best strikers in the UFC. And it’s a chance to show that I’m not only a striker, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. This win against Xiaonan — it’s going to put my name at the top. In a way, I won’t just be fighting her — I’ll be fighting all of them, the girls she has won or lost to. So, that’ll put my name on the map, and I’m sure they’ll start looking at me differently.”
Yan has never been overwhelmed by a striker and she’s not going to start at UFC Shanghai. The winner of this fight boils down to who controls the wrestling. Yan took Weili down three times and scored five takedowns against Karolina Kowalkiewicz, but can she keep herself upright long enough to stay in control? Gomes is likely to have her moments, I just think “Fury” is too experienced and too tactical to be thwarted by the younger, more reckless Gomes.
