Khabib Tries to Stop Usman Entering Cage After Umar's 1-Punch UFC Shanghai KO

Q: Could Song Yadong's spectacular knockout of Umar Nurmagomedov finally secure him the bantamweight championship opportunity he demanded?

Yes — Song Yadong’s knockout of Umar Nurmagomedov likely puts him at or very near the front of the bantamweight title line, though it does not guarantee the shot. The case for Song is strong. Umar entered UFC Shanghai as a top contender and a likely title eliminator, and Song did not just beat him — he knocked him unconscious with one of the division’s most emphatic finishes of the year. That matters in UFC matchmaking, especially because Song had already rebuilt momentum with a submission win over former champion Deiveson Figueiredo. Beating Figueiredo and then stopping Umar gives him the kind of back-to-back run that is hard to ignore. Context still matters. The bantamweight title picture remains tied to the championship rivalry involving Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili. If Merab keeps the belt, Song becomes an attractive fresh challenger because they have not fought. If Yan ends up champion again, Song’s path is less certain because Yan already owns a win over him, and the UFC could prefer another rematch involving bigger established names. So Song has not definitively “secured” the opportunity, but he has dramatically strengthened his claim. In practical terms, this was the exact kind of win he needed: a headline knockout over a highly ranked opponent, in a main event, in front of a home crowd, followed by an immediate title callout. Unless the UFC goes in a rematch-heavy direction, Song now has one of the best arguments in the division for the next championship shot.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 30

Seconds after Song Yadong knocked Umar Nurmagomedov unconscious with an uppercut in the UFC Shanghai main event, Khabib Nurmagomedov tried to physically stop Usman Nurmagomedov from rushing into the octagon.
Broadcast replays showed Khabib grabbing at Usman and even reaching for his foot, but Usman got into the cage before officials had cleared cornermen to enter.
Usman briefly crossed paths with the celebrating Song, and replays suggested the PFL lightweight champion may have considered throwing an elbow, though no strike landed and Song did not react.
Once past that moment, Usman went straight to Umar's side as the stoppage stood as the biggest win of Song's career.