Chinese fighter casts doubt on Umar's title hopes

'I was laughing — I knew I could beat him easily,' Song says

Song Ya-dong (right) receives the judges' decision after knocking out Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Fight Night Shanghai on Saturday. [UFC]
Song Ya-dong (right) receives the judges' decision after knocking out Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Fight Night Shanghai on Saturday. [UFC]

Song Ya-dong, the Chinese fighter who pulled off a stunning upset by knocking out Umar Nurmagomedov, has delivered a pointed assessment of his fallen opponent's future prospects.

Song, 28, stopped Nurmagomedov, the No. 3-ranked bantamweight, with a right uppercut 1 minute and 48 seconds into the second round at the UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs. Song Ya-dong main event, held Saturday (Korean Standard Time) at the Pudong Development Bank Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China.

Umar, a cousin of UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, had been installed as a heavy favorite heading into the bout but was dropped by an unexpected counter punch from Song on home soil, dealing a serious blow to his title ambitions. Umar had been chasing another title shot after losing to then-champion Merab Dvalishvili in January last year and then stringing together two consecutive wins.

Song was skeptical that Umar would ever claim the belt. In an interview with MMA journalist Ariel Helwani on Wednesday (local time), Song was asked whether Nurmagomedov could one day become champion. "I'm not sure he can become champion. He has a big problem," Song said. "It's really hard to come back after suffering such a devastating KO."

Song also said he had already identified a habit in Umar's game: the Russian tends to dip his head whenever he shoots for a takedown. Song said he had devised a strategy before the fight to exploit exactly that moment, and the plan worked.

The "big problem" Song referred to was not the head-dipping habit itself, but rather the physical and mental toll a knockout loss of that severity can take on a fighter. Song's claim may be something of an overgeneralization, but some fighters do struggle to recover after a brutal stoppage, dealing with recurring knockdowns or a lingering fear of getting hit.

Song also pushed back against any suggestion that his win was a lucky punch. "If you watch the fight, you'll see I was smiling the whole time," he said. "I felt like I could beat this guy very easily. After the first round, I felt Umar wasn't that strong. Even when he was on top of me, I could get back up. And on the feet, I was able to control the distance really well."

Song is widely regarded within the UFC as a humble and understated fighter, which makes his pointed dismissal of Umar's abilities and future prospects all the more striking.

The tension may have a personal dimension as well. Immediately after the fight, as Song was celebrating inside the cage, Umar's younger brother Usman Nurmagomedov rushed out from the corner and appeared to lunge at Song — an incident that may have left some lingering ill will.

Meanwhile, Umar has struck a defiant tone in response to Song's assessment. On the same day, he posted on social media: "It's not over until I win. Inshallah."


yjc@heraldcorp.com