The UFC returns to mainland China on Saturday with a bantamweight showdown that could decide the next title challenger. Umar Nurmagomedov meets Song Yadong in the main event of UFC Fight Night from the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center — a five-round fight between two top-10 contenders, one of them fighting in front of a home crowd. Here's everything you need to know, from the full card and records to the odds and our prediction.
UFC Fight Night Shanghai: Date, Time and How to Watch Nurmagomedov vs. Song
UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Song takes place Saturday, Aug. 29 at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China. For fans in the United States, it's an early-morning card: prelims stream starting at 3 a.m. ET (2 a.m. CT) and the main card at 6 a.m. ET (5 a.m. CT) on Paramount+. In Shanghai, the main card runs Saturday evening local time.
The card features 13 bouts. The main event is scheduled for five rounds, and the winner of Nurmagomedov-Song will have a strong case for a bantamweight title shot. Both men came face-to-face at Thursday's ceremonial weigh-ins, and the tension has been building all week in Shanghai.
Nurmagomedov vs. Song Odds: A Heavy Favorite in a High-Stakes Bantamweight Bout
Umar Nurmagomedov enters as a significant favorite across the board. DraftKings has him at -500 with Song at +380, Caesars lists -526/+400, and BetMGM and SportsLine both have Nurmagomedov at -600 with Song at +425 to +450. The total rounds line sits at 4.5, with the over juiced to -240 — the market expects a long, technical fight.
The tale of the tape favors Nurmagomedov on paper. He is 30 years old, stands 5-foot-8 with a 69-inch reach, and carries a 20-1 pro record (8-1 in the UFC) with a 45% finishing rate. His only professional loss came against Merab Dvalishvili, and he has beaten Cory Sandhagen, Mario Bautista, Deiveson Figueiredo and Bekzat Almakhan inside the octagon. He was a champion in Gorilla Fighting before signing with the UFC in 2020.
Song Yadong, 28, is 23-9-1 overall and 12-4-1 in the UFC, with the higher finishing rate of the two at 57%. A boxer by style, Song has been with the promotion since 2017 and is riding wins over Chris Gutierrez, Henry Cejudo and Figueiredo — whom he submitted in Macau in May — with his most recent losses coming to Petr Yan and Sean O'Malley. He is 2 inches shorter on reach at 67, and he'll have the crowd behind him in his home country.
Full UFC Shanghai Card: Undercard Odds and What to Watch
The undercard is loaded with international talent and a couple of rematches. Here's a rundown of the fights with the latest betting lines:
- Yan Xiaonan (-175) vs. Denise Gomes (+140) — women's strawweight. Yan is 37 and 3-4 in her last seven; Gomes, 28, physically handled Pennington in her last fight.
- Kai Asakura (-400) vs. Aoriqileng (+300) — bantamweight. Expect a striking fight; Asakura holds the edge in speed and power and is a knockout threat.
- Sumudaerji (-210) vs. Alex Perez (+181) — flyweight rematch. Their May fight ended in a no contest after a low blow; Sumudaerji's reach and jab gave Perez trouble until he dropped him in round two.
- Ce Liu (-195) vs. Levi Rodrigues Jr. (+155) — light heavyweight. Liu is a powerful kickboxer with grappling question marks; Rodrigues has power but was finished in his UFC debut.
- Bilal Hasan (-566) vs. Nilson Rojas (+500) — flyweight. Hasan, a Contender Series winner, is a dynamic, powerful striker the UFC is building.
- Andre Lima (-240) vs. Namsrai Batbayar (+205) — flyweight. Batbayar arrives off Road to UFC wins; Lima is the more complete fighter with better striking and ground work.
- Rei Tsuruya (-566) vs. Kevin Borjas (+460) — flyweight. Tsuruya is an elite wrestler whose only loss came to Josh Van; expect takedowns.
- Sean Woodson (-150) vs. Jack Jenkins (+128) — featherweight. Woodson's length and jab should neutralize Jenkins' leg kicks; Woodson is coming off a disputed loss to Dan Ige.
- Xiao Long (-175) vs. Francesco Nuzzi (+152) — bantamweight. A winnable spot for Long against a PFL import with early finishes on his record.
- Lawrence Lui (-291) vs. Hector Santiago (+260) — bantamweight.
- Julia Polastri (-230) vs. Jingnan Xiong (+195) — women's strawweight. Xiong is 38 and lost her step up against Angela Hill; Polastri should win the cleaner exchanges.
- Ding Meng (-121) vs. Cameron Nelson (+107) — welterweight. Ding is 31 with 45 pro fights under him; Nelson is younger with multiple ways to finish.
UFC Shanghai Prediction: Our Pick for Nurmagomedov vs. Song
Nurmagomedov is the more complete fighter, and the matchup looks favorable for him. He has underrated striking, and opponents who key on his takedowns open up lanes for him on the feet. Song is dangerous — he has the power to end any fight — but he has struggled with elite grapplers, and Umar's control once he gets the fight to the mat is suffocating.
Both men are extremely durable, which points to a long fight. Prediction: Umar Nurmagomedov wins by decision, and the over 4.5 rounds cashes. For a value play on the undercard, Denise Gomes at +140 is worth a look — she's younger, fresher and coming off her best performance against a struggling veteran in Yan Xiaonan.
Lauren Mitchell
Lauren Mitchell covers sports with a focus on roster movement, coaching trends, player development, and the bigger storylines behind each matchup.