Shanghai gets ready to rumble for a second successive UFC Fight Night

For a second straight summer, the world's best strikers, wrestlers and grapplers are ready to lock horns in Shanghai, as the Ultimate Fighting Championship takes center stage in the East China metropolis.

A two-day Fight Night event is all set to rock the city again, following the blockbusting success of last year's fixture, with a stacked card that features a strong Chinese contingent of established mixed martial artists and daring young prospects squaring off against world heavyweights in their respective divisions on Saturday.

Headlining Saturday's main card at Shanghai's Oriental Sports Center is a high-stakes bantamweight bout pitching home pride Song Yadong, the No 5 contender in the competitive division, against third-ranked Umar Nurmagomedov of Russia.

As China's highest-ranked men's fighter across any division in the UFC right now, Song is expected to cement his title-challenging credentials by upsetting a tough wrestling specialist in Nurmagomedov in front of a partisan home crowd.

Speaking at a news conference for the second successive Shanghai Fight Night, the 28-year-old, who hails from Heilongjiang province, said that fighting at home feels very comfortable and helps him stay relaxed.

"When I compete overseas, I always carry an all-or-nothing mindset, desperate to prove myself and secure the win at all costs.

"Back fighting in China, with my family and friends around, I feel so much warmth and so much support, and that helps me stay at ease and perform at my best.

"My mindset has shifted. I no longer get too obsessed with the results like I did in the past, which would tie my hands and affect my performances. I now focus more on my technique, rhythm and mentality."

To fight for a shot at the division belt, currently held by Russia's Petr Yan, and doing it in Shanghai has made it a full-circle experience for Song, nine years after he made his impressive Octagon debut by submitting India's Bharat Khandare with a first-round guillotine choke at UFC's first live event in Shanghai in 2017.

Now facing a dangerous wrestler in Nurmagomedov, Song said his confidence stems from a solid pre-fight training camp that focused on counterattacking his opponent's style.

"My opponent possesses strong wrestling skills. I have completed intensive wrestling and takedown defense training. I have also prepared some special techniques, leaving no stone unturned for this crucial matchup," said Song, who steps into the Octagon in Shanghai on the back of a submission win over Brazilian former titleholder Deiveson Figueiredo in Macao in May that improved his career win-loss record to 23-9.

Serving as co-main event, China's strawweight veteran Yan Xiaonan is determined to prove she remains a force to be reckoned with at the age of 37 when she takes on 13th-ranked rising contender Denise Gomes of Brazil. Yan will be hoping to bounce back from a disappointing decision loss to another Brazilian, Virna Jandiroba, in April last year.

"My opponent is young and full of momentum," said Yan, who also won her first UFC bout at the 2017 Shanghai Fight Night over Kailin Curran of the United States, via unanimous decision.

"Rising star or seasoned veteran, every fighter steps into the Octagon with fierce fighting spirit. I believe I still have what it takes to keep punching my way toward the top of the division," said Yan, the first Chinese woman signed by the UFC in October 2017, one month before the inaugural Shanghai showpiece.

Additional domestic talent set to appear on the six-bout main card lineup includes Liu Ce, who is making his Octagon debut against Brazil's light heavyweight grappler Levi Rodrigues Jr, and fan favorite Sumudaerji, a flyweight prospect known as "The Tibetan Eagle", fighting in a rematch against American veteran Alex Perez, following their "no-contest" first meeting in Macao in May.

While Saturday's card features established UFC athletes, Friday's Road to UFC semifinals offers a chance for China's future MMA hopefuls to make their presence felt on a global stage.

The single-elimination RTU tournament, launched in 2022 as a talent-selection program specifically for Asia-Pacific markets, has already steered 23 promising MMA fighters from the region into the promotion's main ranks. Winners of their respective divisions each year earn coveted UFC contracts.

Kevin Chang, UFC's senior vice-president and head of Asia, attributed the increasing quality of the Fight Night events in China to the promotion's commitment to talent development in this region.

"We have been working tirelessly to build a pipeline for Chinese and Asian talent, and no other international sports property is doing what we are doing in this region," he said in Shanghai on Wednesday.

"This weekend, from the RTU semifinalists fighting for their UFC dream, to the main card athletes competing on the world's biggest stage, we will see the full spectrum of MMA excellence, and the future of our sport in Asia, shining bright right here in Shanghai."

Having built a Performance Institute in Shanghai and set its Asian headquarters in the city in 2019, UFC continues its localization in China with the announcement on Wednesday that it has renewed its partnership with major streaming platform Migu for another five years, with their cooperation expanded beyond just broadcasting to more areas, such as joint event operation, fan services and MMA promotion.

He Qi and Li Junfeng in Shanghai contributed to this story.