Song Yadong Sounds Off on Umar Nurmagomedov’s Chances of Being UFC Bantamweight Champion

Song Yadong believes that Umar Nurmagomedov's devastating defeat at UFC Shanghai can alter his future run in the promotion. Regardless of Nurmagomedov's prowess, Yadong opined that the defeat would make his journey to the top far tougher.

Multiple fighters have gone on to become UFC champions even after annihilating losses, but Yadong doubted whether Nurmagomedov's case would be the same.

Song Yadong Highlights Possibility of Umar Nurmagomedov Not Being the Same After KO Loss

The UFC fanbase has seen the remarkable runs of multiple potent contenders ruined after a single loss. The way Justin Gaethje beat Tony Ferguson at UFC 249, or Dustin Poirier's brutal beatdown of Dan Hooker in June 2020, stand as classic examples of how a fighter can take away their opponents' souls in a single fight.

Yadong's victory over Nurmagomedov was significantly different from the aforementioned encounters, as he knocked out Nurmagomedov with a single strike, instead of subjecting him to severe punishment throughout the five rounds of the fight. Still, 'Kung Fu Kid' opined that the nature of the defeat would make Nurmagomedov's comeback significantly challenging.

Yadong appeared in a recent episode of The Ariel Helwani Show where he also sounded doubtful about 'Young Eagle's' chances of becoming the divisional champion. He said, "Hmm, I don’t know. He’s got a big problem. It’s very hard to get back from that brutal knockout."

😬 Song Yadong says he doesn’t know if Umar Nurmagomedov can become champion after UFC Shanghai:

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

(via @arielhelwani) 🔹 pic.twitter.com/BbNKNDxTl4

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) September 2, 2026

Regardless of Yadong's stance, Nurmagomedov is viewing his loss in a completely different light. 'Young Eagle' took to Instagram following his defeat to thank his followers. He also intended to come back stronger after learning the "lessons" from his loss.

He stated, "I'm doing fine. Alhamdulillah. A huge thank you to everyone who is writing. I'll learn from my mistakes. And I'll be back."

Nurmagomedov's association with Team Khabib implies that he has the support required to forge a strong comeback even after such a dismantling loss. However, the stories of Ferguson and Hooker indicate that Yadong also might be right in his assessment.