UFC Shanghai returns August 29 for Nurmagomedov-Yadong main event

The UFC will return to Shanghai on Saturday, August 29, 2026, with Umar Nurmagomedov facing Song Yadong in a 135-pound main event. The card will be staged at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center’s Indoor Stadium, which has seating for 18,000.

The visit will mark the UFC’s second consecutive year in Shanghai and its third appearance in the city overall. Nurmagomedov represents Russia, while Yadong is from China, giving the headline bout a strong regional focus.

The event will also feature fighters from Asia and the ANZAC region. Yan Xiaonan is scheduled to meet Denise Gomes, while Aoriqileng will face Kai Asakura. Alex Pérez will fight Sumudaerji, and Liu Ce will take on Levi Rodrigues Jr.

Bilal Hasan is listed against Nilson Rojas, with Namsrai Batbayar due to meet André Lima. Rei Tsuruya will face Kevin Borjas, while Jack Jenkins is set to fight Sean Woodson. Xiao Long will meet Francesco Nuzzi, and Rio Lawrence will take on Hector James.

The remaining listed bouts include Xiong Jingnan against Julia Polastri and Ding Meng against Cameron Nelson. Together with the main event, those matchups form a Shanghai programme built around fighters from the wider Asian and ANZAC regions.

The Shanghai event is part of a UFC schedule containing 44 events across four continents in 2026. That calendar follows the organisation’s seven-year agreement with Paramount+.