8/27/26
Be prepared to pull an all-nighter if you plan on tuning in to this card. The UFC visits Shanghai, China, for a night full of ranked fights, crowd favorites, and a main event that could launch the winner into further championship contention. The main card will start at 3:00 am PST, and the prelims will begin at 12:00 am. If you plan on staying up late come Friday, just wait a few hours for a fun card filled with entertaining fights. Here is a preview for UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs Yadong
Bilal Hasan vs Nilson Rojas: Flyweight
The main card starts off with two fighters who have had near-identical records so far in their career. Bilal Hasan and Nilson Rojas are both 9-0 in their career and both also have seven knockouts on their record. With matching power for the two of them and both being undefeated, this is seemingly an even fight across the board. Whoever can land that ine fatal blow could walk out the victor. Also, while note often in the UFC two undefeated fighters face off, when it does happen the fight can come down to who can handle adversity better. Especially if one of the two begin to lose.
Neither are used to losing in their career and both have knocked out most of their opponents. Both fighters are also making their official UFC debuts in a very skilled division. Who ever of the two can land better and weather the storm will likely come out with their record in tact.
Liu Ce vs Levi Rodrigues Jr: Light Heavyweight
This fight features two men much younger in their careers than others on the card. Between the two of the they only have 10 combined fights. Liu Ce comes into the bout 3-1 in his career and will be making his UFC debut. All three of his wins have been by knockout, and while there isn’t too much information about him, this is a massive opportunity to show not only his country but the UFC what he is made of. Levi Rodrigues, on the other hand, comes into the fight 5-1 in his career and 0-1 in the UFC.
All five of his wins have been by knockout; however, he is also coming off a knockout loss. He is looking to get back into the win column against another young fighter who finishes his opponents quickly. This should be a fun scrap between two young fighters, which could very well end in a KO.
Alex Perez vs Sumudaerji: Flyweight
This will be the first fight of the card with ranked fighters involved. Alex Perez comes into the fight as the #11-ranked fighter in the division, with a record of 26-10 in his career and 8-6 in the UFC. Both fighters’ last fights were against each other, but it ended in a no contest, which is why they are actually both ranked #11 at the moment. Sumudaerji comes into the fight 19-7 in his career and 6-4 in the UFC. Their last fight was stopped due to an accidental low blow, and they have decided to run it back.
Perez is a more well-rounded, technical fighter who wins a lot by decision and has a more spread-out win record. Sumudaerji, on the other hand, has a lot of power for the weight class and has 13 of his wins by knockout. Both have unfinished business with each other and are looking to resolve what happened in their last fight. Since they are both the same ranking, it will be interesting to see how far the winner moves up and if one of them can break into the top ten.
Aoriqileng vs Kai Asakura: Bantamweight
Aoriqileng comes in as another crowd favorite as he takes on Kai Asakura, who already has an impressive resume behind him. Aoriqileng comes into the fight with a career record of 26-13 and 4-5 in the UFC. Although most of his wins have been by decision, he has shown that he has the ability to put his opponents away. He is coming off a loss in his last fight and wants to return to the win column and search for a ranked opponent soon with a win.
Kai Asakura is new to the bantamweight division as he has spent much of his career at flyweight. He comes into the fight with a record of 22-6 and 1-2 in the UFC. He is coming off a KO win in his last fight, and since moving up a weight class, he wants to make waves in bantamweight. He is extremely fast with creative striking and the power to back it up. This should be one of the most entertaining fights on the card and an even matchup for both fighters.
Yan Xiaonan vs Denise Gomes: Women’s Strawweight
This is the only women’s fight on the main card between two ranked fighters in a tough women’s division. Yan Xiaonan comes into the fight as the #4-ranked contender with a record of 19-5 in her career and 9-4 in the UFC. Eight of her nineteen wins have been by knockout, as she is a technical striker who will tally up strikes against her opponents. While she is coming off a loss, it was to Virna Jandiroba, who has fought for the title in the past and is among the top of the division. Denise Gomes comes into the fight as the #14-ranked fighter in the division with a record of 12-3 in her career and 6-2 in the UFC. She has similar power in her hands and also wins most of her fights by decision.
This fight will stay on the feet for most of the bout and likely will come down to who can outstrike the other and be more active. There is a lot on the line for Yan, as she is in a position to have her championship contention put on hold if she loses. This also adds more incentive to win and puts another good name on her resume. With a win, she could be next in line for a title shot, but a loss could set her back. Some good storyline going into this fight, and for Gomes, this is a big opportunity to shake up the rankings and prove she belongs at the top.
Umar Nurmagomedov vs Song Yadong: Bantamweight
This is a big fight in the bantamweight division and could decide who might get a title shot soon, depending on who the winner is. Umar Nurmagomedov has already fought for the belt once against former champion Merab Dvalishvili, and many fans believe he won that fight. It is his only loss in his career, as he stands with a 20-1 record. He is now on a two-fight win streak among some of the best in the division, and this fight is one more stop on his way to getting that title shot back. He is the #3-ranked fighter in the division and continues to dominate his way to the very top. Song Yadong is the #6-ranked fighter in the division with a career record of 23-9-1 and 12-4 in the UFC. He is coming off a win against former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo and is looking for that signature win to cement him as a championship-level fighter.
Both fighters are well-rounded, but Umar is one of the best grapplers not only in the division but maybe pound for pound in the UFC. He dominates his opponents on the ground with relentless pressure and is also a good striker who can keep distance and set up his takedowns. Yadong is the better striker of the two and has much more power; the question is, can he avoid the takedown, and if he can’t, can he find his way back to his feet and outwork Umar in the striking? It’s hard to imagine a fighter that Nurmagomedov won’t dominate for five rounds, but Yadong is very skilled and experienced and is highly ranked for a reason. This will be a great battle between two of the best in the weight class and will show mixed martial arts at the highest level. Fans will be in for a treat.
Once again, the prelims will start at 12:00 am on Saturday, August 29th. The main card will start at 3:00 am so if you plan on staying up, turn on these fights because they will be worth it.
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