Song Yadong has given his two cents on whether Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin Umar Nurmagomedov will be able to become an UFC champion someday, especially after what happened on August 29.

This past weekend, Yadong locked horns with Umar in the main event of UFC Shanghai.

Umar had a strong first round. He used his wrestling and grappling to control the fight. However, in Round 2, Yadong was game to prove the oddsmakers and many MMA fans wrong. While Umar grew frustrated not being able to score clean takedowns and dipped his head to the left to shoot, Yadong landed a well-placed uppercut on Umar’s ear and sent the 30-year-old to the shadow realm.

SHANGHAI, CHINA – AUGUST 29: (L-R) Song Yadong of China punches Umar Nurmagomedov of Russia in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center on August 29, 2026 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

“I don’t know. He’s [Umar Nurmagomedov] got a big problem. It’s very hard to get back from that brutal knockout.”

Check out Song Yadong’s comments about Umar Nurmagomedov below:

Song Yadong also revealed that he was aware Umar dips his head every time he shoots for a takedown. As per the game plan, “Kung Fu Kid” decided to catch the Russian fighter in that exact moment and put him to sleep, and the game plan worked. Talking about how his confidence grew from Round 1 at UFC Shanghai, Yadong added:

“You could tell in the fight, I was smiling, I was laughing. I just had this thought in my mind that I could beat him very easily…. After the first round, I felt like he wasn’t that strong. I could escape his wrestling. Even when he was on top, I could still get up. And on the feet, I could control the distance very well… I think everyone knows he has that habit [of dipping when he shoots], but you need to catch that moment and have the power to put him to sleep… I have that power. I can put him to sleep.” [h/t: Ariel Helwani]

Check out Song Yadong’s comments about Umar Nurmagomedov below:

Umar Nurmagomedov says “it’s not over”

Just like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, and his own brother, PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov, Umar Nurmagomedov is unlikely to give up until he gets his hands on championship gold. Moments earlier on Instagram, he shared a message with his fans. He posted:

“It’s not over until I win InshAllah”

Check out Umar Nurmagomedov’s comments below:

Umar will especially have to work on the “technical mistake” of dipping his head while shooting for takedowns, among many other flaws, if he wants to get his name back into title contention. For now, it’s a long road back to the top, and he’ll likely need at least two big wins before earning a second UFC bantamweight title shot.