# Song Yadong (宋亚东)
**Song Yadong** (宋亚东, born 1997 in [Heilongjiang](https://www.edgepedia.org/heilongjiang), China) is a Chinese professional mixed martial artist who competes in the bantamweight division (135 pounds) of the [Ultimate Fighting Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/ultimate-fighting-championship) (UFC), where he fights under the nickname "Kung Fu Kid"[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Scouting-Report-Yadong-Song-187972) • [2](https://the-box-score.com/ufc/fighters/song-yadong). A boxing-based striker training at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, he rose from a teenage UFC debut in China to headline events in Macau and Shanghai, holding a professional record of 24 wins, 9 losses, and 1 draw[2](https://the-box-score.com/ufc/fighters/song-yadong) • [3](https://www.ufc.com/news/yadong-song-my-dream-is-to-be-champion-ufc-fight-night-sandhagen-vs-song).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1997, Heilongjiang, China[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Scouting-Report-Yadong-Song-187972) |
| Division / measurements | Bantamweight; 5'8" height, 67" reach[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Scouting-Report-Yadong-Song-187972) |
| Professional record | 24-9-1; wins by 6 KO/TKO, 2 submission, 16 decision (33% finish rate)[2](https://the-box-score.com/ufc/fighters/song-yadong) |
| Team | Team Alpha Male, Sacramento, California[3](https://www.ufc.com/news/yadong-song-my-dream-is-to-be-champion-ufc-fight-night-sandhagen-vs-song) |
| Career UFC striking averages | 4.26 significant strikes landed per minute at 43% accuracy; 54% striking defense; 73% takedown defense[4](https://fightiq.net/fighter/song-yadong) |
| Signature wins | Henry Cejudo (technical decision, 2025), Deiveson Figueiredo (submission, 2026), Umar Nurmagomedov (KO, 2026)[5](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/la-catastrofe-de-cejudo-yadong-le-gana-en-el-ufc-seattle-n/) • [6](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-fight-night-song-vs-figueiredo-results-highlights-main-card-winners-interviews-macau) • [7](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/caos-en-ufc-shanghai-song-noquea-a-umar-y-desata-a-los-nurmagomedov-f202608-n/) |
| Ranking | Fifth in the official UFC bantamweight rankings before the Figueiredo bout; third in an independent Elo rating (1643 ±38) as of October 10, 2026[8](https://www.ufc.com/news/song-yadong-better-through-experience-ufc-macau) • [9](https://honestelo.com/ratings/bantamweight) |
## Early life and start in martial arts
Song found martial arts at age 10 when his mother urged him to train wushu, a Chinese martial art, and took up mixed martial arts two years later under Malo Hailin[10](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/The-Film-Room-Yadong-Song-145863). He turned professional in 2013 at 16 years old, and during that period worked as a security guard and street vendor, which he described as motivation to succeed in MMA[10](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/The-Film-Room-Yadong-Song-145863). His UFC profile states that his MMA debut came in 2012[11](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/song-yadong?language_content_entity=en-zxx). An early test came against Xian Ji at [ONE Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/one-championship) 24, where the 16-year-old Song was dominated by a 27-year-old opponent but showed the ability to absorb punches and keep advancing[10](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/The-Film-Room-Yadong-Song-145863). He has said he fought almost four times a year in those early years, building experience quickly[3](https://www.ufc.com/news/yadong-song-my-dream-is-to-be-champion-ufc-fight-night-sandhagen-vs-song).
## Fighting style
Boxing is the cornerstone of Song's style. A Sherdog scouting report describes all of his punches as technical, crisp, and powerful, thrown in bunches, with a favorite pairing of right cross and left hook in either order; his overhand right and uppercut are also listed as accurate and powerful weapons[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Scouting-Report-Yadong-Song-187972). His kicks are less effective because of technical issues, and he rarely chains kicks to punches[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Scouting-Report-Yadong-Song-187972). An earlier film study noted that he sets everything up with the jab, stays light on his feet, and prefers to leap in with a quick combination before exiting range rather than standing and trading[10](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/The-Film-Room-Yadong-Song-145863).
Defensively, he is difficult to hit because of sound boxing-based defense, including a strong sense of range, head movement, and blocking[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Scouting-Report-Yadong-Song-187972). His career UFC numbers bear this out: he absorbs 3.76 significant strikes per minute while defending 54% of incoming strikes[4](https://fightiq.net/fighter/song-yadong).
Grappling was long a relative weakness. The scouting report found little offensive wrestling or [Brazilian jiu-jitsu](https://www.edgepedia.org/brazilian-jiu-jitsu), but solid takedown defense built on a good sprawl and considerable strength for 135 pounds; his ability to return to his feet diminishes in later rounds[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Scouting-Report-Yadong-Song-187972). His 73% career takedown defense ranks among his strongest statistical measures[4](https://fightiq.net/fighter/song-yadong). The same report flagged cardio as questionable, noting he could slow dramatically by round three in high-paced fights[1](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Scouting-Report-Yadong-Song-187972), though a derived analytics scorecard later rated his cardio at the 80th percentile among bantamweights[2](https://the-box-score.com/ufc/fighters/song-yadong).
## UFC career
Song debuted in the UFC in China, competing there in his first two appearances in 2017 and 2018 as a raw young prospect[8](https://www.ufc.com/news/song-yadong-better-through-experience-ufc-macau). On June 23, 2018, he stopped Felipe Arantes via strikes at 4:59 of the second round[11](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/song-yadong?language_content_entity=en-zxx). He won his first four UFC bouts and fought 13th-ranked Cody Stamann to a draw in December 2019[12](https://commercialreview.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/documents_import/2021/06%20%E2%80%93%20June/6-10-2021%20full%20PDF.pdf).
His first official UFC loss came at [UFC 259](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-259) against Kyler Phillips, who started quickly and secured a unanimous decision[3](https://www.ufc.com/news/yadong-song-my-dream-is-to-be-champion-ufc-fight-night-sandhagen-vs-song). He lost a unanimous decision to [Petr Yan](https://www.edgepedia.org/petr-yan) on March 9, 2024[2](https://the-box-score.com/ufc/fighters/song-yadong), and a 2022 main event against [Cory Sandhagen](https://www.edgepedia.org/cory-sandhagen) ended on a doctor's stoppage due to an eye injury[13](https://www.ufcalendar.com/blog/umar-nurmagomedov-song-yadong-technique-breakdown).
**Breakthrough run.** At UFC Fight Night in Seattle on February 22, 2025, Song beat former two-division champion [Henry Cejudo](https://www.edgepedia.org/henry-cejudo) by technical decision, with scores of 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27, in a fight stopped in the fourth round by an eye poke on Cejudo[5](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/la-catastrofe-de-cejudo-yadong-le-gana-en-el-ufc-seattle-n/). He then lost a unanimous decision to Sean O'Malley at [UFC 324](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-324) in Las Vegas on January 24, 2026[2](https://the-box-score.com/ufc/fighters/song-yadong).
Fighting in Asia in 2026, Song produced two career-defining results. At UFC Fight Night in Macau on May 30, 2026, he submitted former flyweight champion [Deiveson Figueiredo](https://www.edgepedia.org/deiveson-figueiredo) with a guillotine choke at 4:42 of the second round in the main event, closing out a card on which other Chinese fighters had struggled[6](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-fight-night-song-vs-figueiredo-results-highlights-main-card-winners-interviews-macau). Entering that bout he sat fifth in the official UFC bantamweight rankings, with Figueiredo seventh[8](https://www.ufc.com/news/song-yadong-better-through-experience-ufc-macau).
## The Nurmagomedov fight and title picture
At UFC Shanghai on August 29, 2026, Song, listed at 23-9-1 going in, faced the third-ranked [Umar Nurmagomedov](https://www.edgepedia.org/umar-nurmagomedov) (20-1) in the main event[14](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/la-ufc-asalta-china-con-un-nurmagomedov-a-las-puertas-del-titulo-f202608-n/). Song won by knockout at 1:48 of the second round, landing an uppercut to the neck that left Nurmagomedov unconscious, then finishing with three hammerfists on the ground[7](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/caos-en-ufc-shanghai-song-noquea-a-umar-y-desata-a-los-nurmagomedov-f202608-n/).
The victory was followed by an incident outside the result: [Usman Nurmagomedov](https://www.edgepedia.org/usman-nurmagomedov), Umar's brother and the PFL lightweight champion, rushed into the cage to help his brother and crossed paths with Song during the celebration, in a confrontation [Khabib Nurmagomedov](https://www.edgepedia.org/khabib-nurmagomedov), in Umar's corner, tried to stop; UFC president [Dana White](https://www.edgepedia.org/dana-white) criticized Usman's actions[7](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/caos-en-ufc-shanghai-song-noquea-a-umar-y-desata-a-los-nurmagomedov-f202608-n/) • [15](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/la-ufc-castiga-a-usman-nurmagomedov-cruzo-la-linea-definitivamente-f202609-n/).
Song has spoken openly about his ambitions. "Definitely getting the title will be one of the biggest dreams in my life, but also I think you should do it step-by-step", he said before the Macau main event[8](https://www.ufc.com/news/song-yadong-better-through-experience-ufc-macau). After the Nurmagomedov win, an independent Elo-based ranking placed him third among active bantamweights at 1643 ±38, behind [Merab Dvalishvili](https://www.edgepedia.org/merab-dvalishvili) and Petr Yan[9](https://honestelo.com/ratings/bantamweight).
## References
1. [Scouting Report: Yadong Song, Sherdog (Lev Pisarsky, Sep 15, 2022)](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Scouting-Report-Yadong-Song-187972)
2. [Song Yadong: UFC skill ratings & tale of the tape, The Box Score](https://the-box-score.com/ufc/fighters/song-yadong)
3. [Yadong Song: "My Dream Is To Be Champion", UFC.com](https://www.ufc.com/news/yadong-song-my-dream-is-to-be-champion-ufc-fight-night-sandhagen-vs-song)
4. [Song Yadong career rates, FightIQ](https://fightiq.net/fighter/song-yadong)
5. [La catástrofe de Cejudo: Yadong le gana en el UFC Seattle, AS.com](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/la-catastrofe-de-cejudo-yadong-le-gana-en-el-ufc-seattle-n/)
6. [Main Card Results | UFC Macau, UFC.com (E. Spencer Kyte, May 30, 2026)](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-fight-night-song-vs-figueiredo-results-highlights-main-card-winners-interviews-macau)
7. [Caos en UFC Shanghái: Song noquea a Umar y desata a los Nurmagomedov, AS.com](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/caos-en-ufc-shanghai-song-noquea-a-umar-y-desata-a-los-nurmagomedov-f202608-n/)
8. [Song Yadong | Better Through Experience, UFC.com (Simon Head, May 28, 2026)](https://www.ufc.com/news/song-yadong-better-through-experience-ufc-macau)
9. [UFC Bantamweight Rankings 2026, HonestElo](https://honestelo.com/ratings/bantamweight)
10. [The Film Room: Yadong Song, Sherdog (Kevin Wilson, Nov 23, 2018)](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/The-Film-Room-Yadong-Song-145863)
11. [Song Yadong fighter profile, UFC.com](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/song-yadong?language_content_entity=en-zxx)
12. [Commercial Review (June 10, 2021), Kenney and Song Yadong booked for UFC 265](https://commercialreview.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/news/documents_import/2021/06%20%E2%80%93%20June/6-10-2021%20full%20PDF.pdf)
13. [Umar Nurmagomedov vs Song Yadong: the fence, not the takedown, UFCalendar](https://www.ufcalendar.com/blog/umar-nurmagomedov-song-yadong-technique-breakdown)
14. [La UFC asalta China con un Nurmagomedov a las puertas del título, AS.com](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/la-ufc-asalta-china-con-un-nurmagomedov-a-las-puertas-del-titulo-f202608-n/)
15. [La UFC castiga a Usman Nurmagomedov, AS.com](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/la-ufc-castiga-a-usman-nurmagomedov-cruzo-la-linea-definitivamente-f202609-n/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Mixed martial arts › Featherweight and bantamweight fighters › Bantamweight fighters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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