Homecoming Turns Sour: Chinese Fighters Struggle at UFC Shanghai

Every time a Chinese fighter walked toward the Octagon in the Oriental Sports Center, the anticipation in the building seemed to rise another notch. Despite an overzealous crowd and the obvious home turf advantage, the Chinese entourage couldn’t live up to the expectations.

Song Yadong Headlines Three Chinese Victories

UFC Shanghai ended with China's eight-fighter contingent posting a 3-5-0 record, leaving the home crowd with plenty to celebrate but also plenty to lament. Although there were spectacular finishes, along with some disappointing finishes, the main event performance from Song Yadong will likely be remembered long after the rest of the card fades.

The “Kung fu Kid’s” stunning knockout of Umar Nurmagomedov gave the event its defining moment. The Chinese bantamweight had arguably the toughest assignment of the eight, taking on No. 2-ranked Umar Nurmagomedov in the main event. 

Nurmagomedov entered Shanghai with only one UFC defeat on his record and had never been stopped as a professional. But that changed in the second round when Yadong found the Dagestani’s chin. 

Just like that, the 28-year-old had just handed Nurmagomedov the first knockout loss of his career, adding another major statement to a UFC run that continues to gather momentum. It was also Yadong's second consecutive stoppage victory after his submission win over Deiveson Figueiredo.

Liu Ce, Sumudaerji Also Pick Up Wins

Liu Ce was another hometown hero who provided another memorable moment earlier in the card. Making his UFC debut against Levi Rodrigues Jr., Liu immediately found himself in the middle of the fire. Both light heavyweights traded heavy shots from the get-go, but Liu eventually found the decisive opening.

At 4:26 of the first round, a right hook sent the Brazilian crashing to the canvas and brought the fight to an end. The performance earned both men Fight of the Night honors, while Liu walked away with a dream start to his UFC career.

Meanwhile, Samudaerji completed the trio of Chinese winners, stopping Alex Perez in a flyweight bout via unanimous decision. These three victories gave the home crowd plenty of reasons to cheer. Unfortunately, they were outnumbered by the losses.

Five Chinese Fighters Leave Shanghai With Defeats

There was no glimmer or glamour for the five other Chinese fighters. Yan Xiaonan suffered arguably the most significant setback. The No. 4-ranked women's strawweight was expected to play a major role in the co-main event, but Denise Gomes had other plans.

The Brazilian landed a perfectly timed elbow that ended the contest at 4:49 of the opening round. Xiaonan now has lost three of her last four UFC fights, making her next move particularly important.

Among the four, Qileng Aori was a veteran who endured a disappointing night in front of the home fans. The Chinese bantamweight faced former RIZIN champion Kai Asakura, but the Japanese fighter eventually found the finish, stopping him 34 seconds into the second round.

Meanwhile, Francesco Nuzzi made quick work of Xiao Long, stopping the Chinese contender in under a minute of the opening round. Then there was Xiong Jingnan.

The former ONE Championship strawweight champion was looking to make her mark on the UFC stage, but Julia Polastri spoiled the party with a first-round TKO. At the tail end of the card was Ding Meng, who opened the waves of Ls. Canada’s Cam Nelson secured the win via a unanimous decision. That ultimately tells the story of UFC Shanghai.