Usman Nurmagomedov has weighed in on his brother Umar’s shocking knockout loss to Song Yadong at UFC Shanghai, framing it as part of the reality of the sport rather than a moment to dwell on.
“He who doesn’t fall does not rise… We are in this sport, that’s the way it is. We put someone’s lights off… and someone put our lights off. It’s uncomfortable. But we live with it, come back. Inshallah, we will win our next fight,” Usman said to Red Corner MMA.
Umar entered the UFC Shanghai main event as a heavy favorite but was stopped in the second round when Song caught him with a clean right uppercut as he dipped to his left, handing him the first knockout loss of his professional career and dropping him to 20-2 overall.
Usman Nurmagomedov’s line about “putting someone’s lights off” appears to be a nod to his own recent finish, having knocked out Archie Colgan in the first round at PFL New York to defend his lightweight title and become a free agent.
Usman Nurmagomedov Jumping Into the Octagon After Umar’s KO
The aftermath of Umar Nurmagomedov’s loss also became a story of its own. As soon as Song Yadong was celebrating and running around the cage, Usman Nurmagomedov immediately jumped into the Octagon to check on his unconscious brother.
In the chaos, Song ran directly into Usman, and video appeared to show Usman throwing, then pulling back, a spinning elbow in Song’s direction. The moment drew heavy criticism online, with many accusing Usman of trying to attack Song. Usman has firmly denied any intent to strike him, writing on social media that “if I had wanted to, I would have hit him,” and dismissing the backlash as coming from people who don’t understand the bond between brothers. Song himself later said he didn’t believe Usman came into the cage looking for a confrontation, adding that he understood the emotional reaction given what Usman had just watched happen to his brother.
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