*This content was translated by AI.
UFC Bantamweight (61.2kg) title contender, ranked No. 3 Umar Nurmagomedov (30, Russia), will face No. 6 'Kung Fu Kid' Song Yadong (28, China).
On the 27th, UFC announced it will host 'UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Song Yadong' on the 29th (Korean time) at the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China.
In the main event, China's Song Yadong will face Nurmagomedov, who hails from Dagestan, on home soil. In the co-main event, a striking showdown will take place between ranked No. 4 Yan Xiaonan (37, China) and No. 14 Deni Gomez (26, Brazil).
The winner of this matchup is expected to take the lead in the race for the next title shot. With the bantamweight title rematch between champion Petr Yan and ranked No. 1 Merab Dvalishvili confirmed at 'UFC 333: Volkanovski vs. Yarbrough' scheduled for October, a fierce battle to secure the next challenger spot is anticipated. Nurmagomedov emphasized through UFC, "Who else could it be? The winner of this fight will become the next challenger."
Song Yadong (23 wins, 1 draw, 9 losses, 1 no contest), returning to the Shanghai octagon for the first time in about nine years, aims to secure back-to-back victories in China following his Macau event win. He is determined to carry forward the momentum from his May victory over Davison Figueiredo via a second-round guillotine choke. Opposing him, Nurmagomedov (20 wins, 1 loss) has defeated Mario Bautista and Figueiredo consecutively, targeting a three-fight winning streak.
The corner battle between the two fighters also draws attention. Umar's corner will be led by Khabib Nurmagomedov himself, his cousin and fellow student alongside Khabib and Islam Makhachev. In contrast, Song Yadong's corner will be guarded by Uriah Faber, head of Team Alpha Male and former WEC Featherweight champion.
Ahead of the decisive bout, both fighters trained separately at the Shanghai UFC Performance Institute (PI) and even crossed paths there. Nurmagomedov stated, "We met every day; it was interesting. There was no pressure—just mutual respect." He added, "I will use all my skills to secure victory." Song Yadong similarly declared, "Whether striking or wrestling, we are thoroughly prepared," vowing to win in front of home fans.
In the co-main event, veteran Wu Shu Santha Base fighter Yan Xiaonan (19 wins, 5 losses, 1 no contest), who has title fight experience, will face Gomez, a Muay Thai striker on a four-fight winning streak in UFC.
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*This content was translated by AI.
