Umar Nurmagomedov faces Song Yadong in a bantamweight main event at UFC Fight Night on Saturday, August 29, at the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China. The bout headlines a 13-fight card as the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to the Chinese metropolis.
The headline contest carries direct implications for the division title race, with both fighters making weight at the official weigh-in. The 135-pound matchup pits the wrestling and positional control of Russia's Nurmagomedov against the speed and power of China's Song.
Nurmagomedov enters the octagon looking to maintain his position in pursuit of a bantamweight championship opportunity. Song fights before his home crowd in China, taking on what stands as the most prominent assignment of his current career. Bantamweight is one of the premier weight divisions in mixed martial arts, capped at a maximum limit of 135 pounds.
Main event matchup and weight results
Both Nurmagomedov and Song successfully made weight for the main event, ensuring the headline fight proceeds as planned. The full event features 13 scheduled bouts, though three fighters missed weight during official weigh-in sessions.
Andre Lima, Jingnan Xiong, and Julia Polastri each exceeded the required weight limits for their respective weight classes. Despite the weight misses, all three contests will take place under catchweight or agreed conditions without any fights being removed from the lineup.
The main event itself has no fixed ring walk time. Nurmagomedov and Song will enter the octagon following the conclusion of five previous main card bouts, meaning their start time depends on whether earlier fights end by knockout, submission, or judges decision.
Co-main event and main card lineup
The co-main event features a strawweight contest between Yan Xiaonan and Denise Gomes. Yan, representing China, meets Brazil's Gomes in a clash of women's 115-pound competitors.
In addition to the headline and co-main bouts, four other matchups complete the six-fight main card. Bantamweight action includes a bout between Aori Qileng and Kai Asakura. In the flyweight division, Alex Perez fights Sumudaerji, while Bilal Hasan takes on Nilson Rojas of Peru.
The light heavyweight division will also feature on the main card when Ce Liu meets Levi Rodrigues Jr. in a 205-pound contest.
Preliminary card and Peruvian fighters
The preliminary portion of the event includes seven fights across multiple weight classes. Peru features two representatives on the card, with Kevin Borjas competing in the prelims alongside countryman Rojas on the main card.
Borjas faces Japanese flyweight Rei Tsuruya in a preliminary contest. The flyweight division also sees Namsrai Batbayar match up against Andre Lima, who missed weight during weigh-ins.
The remaining preliminary card features five additional fights:
- Featherweight: Jack Jenkins vs. Sean Woodson
- Bantamweight: Xiao Long vs. Francesco Nuzzi
- Bantamweight: Lawrence Lui vs. Hector Santiago
- Strawweight: Jingnan Xiong vs. Julia Polastri
- Welterweight: Ding Meng vs. Cameron Nelson
Despite Xiong and Polastri missing weight for their strawweight bout, the match remains on the card alongside all other preliminary contests.
Global fight times and schedule
The event presents unusual viewing hours for audiences in the Americas due to the local time zone in Shanghai. Preliminary fights begin at 3:00 a.m. Eastern Time and 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Saturday, while the main card begins three hours later at 6:00 a.m. ET and 3:00 a.m. PT.
In the United States, the main event between Nurmagomedov and Song is expected to start at approximately 8:30 a.m. ET or 5:30 a.m. PT, depending on how quickly the prior five main card fights finish.
For viewers in Latin America, preliminary and main card start times vary across regional time zones:
- Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica: Prelims start at 1:00 a.m., main card at 4:00 a.m., and main event at approximately 6:30 a.m. central time.
- Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador: Prelims start at 2:00 a.m., main card at 5:00 a.m., and main event at approximately 7:30 a.m.
- Panama: Prelims start at 2:00 a.m. and main card at 5:00 a.m.
- Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico: Prelims start at 3:00 a.m., main card at 6:00 a.m., and main event at approximately 8:30 a.m.
- Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, and Chile: Prelims start at 4:00 a.m., main card at 7:00 a.m., and main event at approximately 9:30 a.m.
European and Asian-Pacific broadcasts follow local daytime schedules. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, preliminaries start at 8:00 a.m. and the main card begins at 11:00 a.m., with the main event expected around 1:30 p.m. In continental Europe, including Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, prelims start at 9:00 a.m. and the main card begins at 12:00 p.m., putting the main event at roughly 2:30 p.m. In Sydney, Australia, preliminaries start at 5:00 p.m. and the main card starts at 8:00 p.m.
How to watch and stream worldwide
Broadcasting rights for UFC Fight Night in Shanghai are split across regional television networks and streaming platforms.
Paramount+ holds exclusive streaming rights across the United States and all of Latin America, broadcasting both the preliminary matches and the main card live.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, television coverage is provided by TNT Sports, with streaming available through Discovery+. European viewers can watch via HBO Max in Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands. DAZN carries the event in Germany, RMC Sport broadcasts in France, and UFC Fight Pass provides coverage in Portugal.
