The UFC will return to Shanghai in August, and the Fight Night card set for the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center now has its main event.
The UFC Shanghai headliner will see bantamweights Umar Nurmagomedov (20-1) and Song Yadong (23-9-1, 1NC) collide on August 29 (Aug. 30 locally), 2026.
Red Fury MMA was first to report the news, with Yadong later confirming the booking on his Instagram story.
Nurmagomedov, cousin of retired lightweight champ and Hall of Famer Khabib, has won back-to-back fights since losing a title bid against Merab Dvalishvili last year. Most recently, the 30-year old Dagestani earned a unanimous decision over former flyweight champ Deivson Figueiredo.
Prior to that, it was a similar one-sided affair against Mario Bautista. Dvlaishvili remains the lone blemish on Umar Nurmagomedov’s record.
China’s Yadong likewise is coming off a victory over Figueiredo, after submitting him in a Performance of the Night-winning effort back in May. The Chinese bantamweight is 2-2 in his last four fights, with the other win coming over ex-champ Henry Cejudo.
Nurmagomedov is ranked #3, and Yadong #5, in the UFC’s official rankings as voted on by members of the media. No other fights have been reported or announced for the UFC Shanghai card thus far. The card marks the company’s third visit to Shanghai.
