The UFC Shanghai results delivered a stunning upset as Song Yadong knocked out top contender Umar Nurmagomedov in the second round, immediately putting himself into the conversation for a UFC bantamweight title shot. In front of his home crowd at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center, Yadong produced the biggest win of his career and capped off a spectacular night of action that featured ten finishes.
Main Card:
Preliminary Card:
Nurmagomedov entered UFC Shanghai with his own championship ambitions, making Yadong’s victory even more significant. The Chinese star needed a statement performance against one of the division’s best, and he delivered exactly that.
Song Yadong really ran right to @JonnyBones to celebrate his KO win at #UFCShanghai 🙌@SongYadongLFG put the crowd into a frenzy! pic.twitter.com/oRlYsIyVVW
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2026
The first round largely belonged to Nurmagomedov. The former title challenger used his wrestling to take Yadong down early, but the Chinese fighter avoided taking significant damage and eventually worked his way back to his feet. Yadong then began attacking the body before the round ended on the feet.
Round 2 changed everything.
Yadong first stuffed a takedown attempt from Nurmagomedov. Moments later, an accidental headbutt left Yadong with a cut above his right eye.
Then came the fight-ending sequence.
Just moments after the accidental headbutt, Yadong landed a massive right hand that glanced off Nurmagomedov’s right ear before doing major damage to his neck. The impact was enough to shut Nurmagomedov’s lights out, sending him crashing to the canvas and triggering a frenzy inside the arena.
The result also gives Yadong a strong argument for a title opportunity. The 28-year-old had already established himself as one of the division’s most dangerous strikers, but putting away a fighter of Nurmagomedov’s caliber makes his championship case considerably stronger.
Whether the UFC rewards the “Kung Fu Kid” with the next title shot remains to be seen, but Yadong has certainly made his case.
Result: Song Yadong def. Umar Nurmagomedov by KO (uppercut), 1:48 of Round 2
The co-main event produced another major upset as Denise Gomes stopped No. 4-ranked Yan Xiaonan late in the opening round.
Xiaonan constantly used side kicks early, while Gomes patiently waited for openings and landed two big overhand rights. Xiaonan attempted to close the distance with combinations, but Gomes ultimately found the finishing sequence.
A thudding elbow dropped Xiaonan, and Gomes followed with two quick shots to force the stoppage. It was a massive statement from Gomes and another reminder that the Shanghai card was packed with unexpected results.
Result: Denise Gomes def. Yan Xiaonan by TKO (elbow and punches), 4:49 of Round 1
A picture perfect elbow 😤
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2026
Denise Gomes is now tied for the most knockouts in strawweight history – 4 (Jessica Andrade) #UFCShanghai pic.twitter.com/xKa70pcyXR
Kai Asakura continued his winning run with a second-round TKO victory over Aoriqileng.
Both fighters started patiently, but Asakura gradually began finding success with his speed and body attacks. An accidental eye poke briefly interrupted the action, while Aoriqileng struggled to let his hands go consistently.
What do you want to see next for @Kai_1031_ after his TKO win at #UFCShanghai? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/8IAvYqhfBC
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2026
Asakura found the breakthrough in Round 2.
A nasty head kick wobbled Aoriqileng, and Asakura immediately followed with an uppercut and a combination of punches that sent him to the canvas. Ground-and-pound strikes forced the referee to stop the fight, earning Asakura another impressive victory at bantamweight.
Result: Kai Asakura def. Aoriqileng by KO (head kick and strikes), 0:34 of Round 2
Sumudaerji earned a unanimous decision over Alex Perez after neutralizing Perez’s wrestling-heavy approach over three rounds.
Perez repeatedly tried to close the distance and secure takedowns, while Sumudaerji worked his leg kicks and looked to keep the fight standing. Perez secured takedowns in the first two rounds, but he struggled to inflict meaningful damage once he got the fight to the mat. Sumudaerji repeatedly returned to his feet.
The third round was the clearest example of Sumudaerji’s defensive work.
He stuffed two takedown attempts from Perez before reversing position and scoring a takedown of his own. Perez could not land a single takedown in the final round, allowing Sumudaerji to secure the unanimous decision.
Result: Sumudaerji def. Alex Perez by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Liu Ce produced one of the night’s most spectacular knockouts in a wild light heavyweight slugfest.
Ce opened with a sharp body kick before Rodrigues caught one and attempted a takedown. Ce stayed upright, and the two then began exchanging heavy shots. Ce eventually staggered Rodrigues, who refused to stop swinging despite appearing unsteady.
A massive right hand finally ended the contest, sending Rodrigues crashing face-first to the canvas in the opening round, earning Ce the knockout in spectacular fashion.
Result: Liu Ce def. Levi Rodrigues Jr. by KO (punch), 4:26 of Round 1
Bilal Hasan opened the main card with another impressive knockout.
Both fighters started quickly, with Hasan hurting Nilson Rojas with a teep to the body. Rojas began bleeding from the nose as Hasan mixed fast combinations with a takedown and ground-and-pound. Rojas still managed to land several stiff jabs despite absorbing significant damage, making the opening round an exciting back-and-forth battle.
The finish came in Round 2.
Rojas leaned into a shot and froze his feet, giving Hasan the opening to land a perfectly timed right hand. The punch sat Rojas down and prompted the referee to intervene without the need for additional strikes. Hasan earned the knockout and his second KO finish in just 18 days, an outstanding beginning to his UFC career.
Result: Bilal Hasan def. Nilson Rojas by KO (punch), 2:28 of Round 2
The UFC Shanghai prelims set the tone for what became a wild night in Shanghai, producing five finishes across seven fights before the main card even began.
Song Yadong and Bilal Hasan walked away with $100,000 Performance of the Night bonuses for their spectacular knockouts, while Liu Ce and Levi Rodrigues Jr. earned Fight of the Night for their wild light heavyweight clash.
With a sold-out crowd making UFC Shanghai the highest-grossing event in the venue’s history, the numbers reflected the action. Ten fights ended inside the distance, three fighters scored knockout victories in their UFC debuts, and a hometown star blew the bantamweight title picture wide open.
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