Second-round knockout win over Nurmagomedov in Shanghai opens the door to a title challenge

The Ultimate Fighting Championship couldn't have asked for a better finish than the way Song Yadong left Shanghai in a frenzy on Saturday night after winning, arguably, the biggest fight of his career so far.

The Chinese bantamweight contender didn't take long to cap off the UFC's Shanghai Fight Night in the greatest possible way for the home crowd, after he secured a massive knockout victory over Russia's former title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov in their main event bout at Oriental Sports Center and took a giant step closer to a shot at the division's world championship belt, currently held by another Russian fighter, Petr Yan.

After spending the first round against Nurmagomedov cautiously testing the dangerous grappler by trading punches and kicks, Song came back in the second stanza with a grin on his face, signaling it was about time to go all in.

Less than two minutes later, he made the most out of what appeared to be a fleeting chance when Nurmagomedov went for a takedown, throwing a right uppercut at the Russian's neck and knocking the betting favorite out cold to ecstatic cheers from the partisan crowd.

"Who's next?" Song shouted out loud in his post-fight interview in the Octagon immediately after the win — one which could place the currently sixth-ranked contender next in line for a title challenge.

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And Song minced no words about that.

"Give me the title shot!" Song demanded, to a standing ovation from over 16,000 spectators.

"Maybe not tonight, not tomorrow, or not next month, but I guarantee you guys that I will be the UFC's first men's world title winner from China".

The 28-year-old Song, who trains at the Team Alpha Male club in Sacramento, California, has now won three of his past four fights, with his lone blemish being a narrow defeat to former titleholder Sean O'Malley in January. His career win-loss record has been improved to 24-9, including 13 victories in the Octagon since making his UFC debut in 2017, also in Shanghai.

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From an obscure teen prospect nine years ago to a legitimate title threat now, Song has refused to slow down.

"Nine years ago, I was just trying to prove I belong in the UFC," Song said of his triumphant first bout at the 2017 Shanghai Fight Night, where he submitted India's Bharat Khandare in the first round.

"Nine years on, as its strongest Chinese representative, I will have to prove that I am the world's strongest in this division."

Despite often being seen as the underdog since he broke into the division's top 15, Song never has lost faith in himself, owing much to the solid, and oftentimes tedious, preparatory work that his coaching team, led by UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber, helps put him through.

Faber, a former bantamweight title contender from the United States, believes Song is right there near the top, with his only recent losses coming against former champ O'Malley and current belt holder Yan, both via unanimous decision.

"If you looked at those fights, those guys were scared of Song," Faber said. "They were running, they were avoiding and they were trying not to get beaten up.

"Those guys know that you do not want to fight Song Yadong. Song is the best fighter in the world (right now)."

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Also standing tall for his country in UFC's heavy divisions, China's Liu Ce, in an earlier men's light heavyweight bout, introduced himself to the UFC in explosive style, landing a thunderous right to send his Brazilian opponent Levi Rodrigues Jr face first onto the canvas at the 2:28 mark in the second round, clinching the Chinese contingent's first win on the main card on his Octagon debut.

Flyweight striker Sumudaerji, who hails from the Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture in Sichuan province, kept up the winning momentum, claiming victory in his rematch against Alex Perez of the United States via unanimous decision, after their first meeting in Macao three months ago ended in a "no contest".

As the third UFC event held in China over the past 12 months, the sold-out Shanghai showpiece stood as another strong testament to the increasing appetite for MMA in China, with Saturday's spectator turnout of 16,188 setting an all-time attendance record for a Fight Night in Asia, as well as a venue record at Oriental Sports Center.

The appearance of 12 Chinese fighters, including those featured on the card of Friday's Road to UFC tournament, spoke volumes about the country's growing presence in the sport's top echelon.

Kevin Chang, UFC's senior vice-president and head of Asia, hinted that a more prominent UFC "numbered" fight, featuring title deciders, is likely to be held in China soon.

"Tonight, it blew our minds, just exceeded all expectations as far as the fan support and the level of competition," he said in the post-fight news conference.

"Every time we do something like this, we get closer and closer to that."

The strong appeal of UFC events in China comes down to the long-term commitment to talent development and the promotion of MMA culture, Chang added, citing the journey from signing the country's first UFC fighter, the now retired trailblazer Zhang Tiequan in 2012, to boasting an active roster of 21 Chinese fighters.

"It shows how far we've come," he said. "It's just been a really great ride and we look forward to seeing what the next chapter will hold for us."