UFC Shanghai Weigh-Ins: Nurmagomedov vs. Song Set for Bantamweight Clash
The scales are done. The talking can stop. UFC Shanghai is locked in.
Just over 24 hours before the Octagon opens inside Shanghai Indoor Stadium, every fighter on the main card has stepped up to the scale, with the headliners Umar Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong both making their mark in a pivotal bantamweight clash that could reshape the 135-pound landscape.
Nurmagomedov on point, Song ready for homecoming
Umar Nurmagomedov came in at 135.5 pounds, a familiar, businesslike figure for the former bantamweight title challenger. No drama, no delay. He walked up, hit the number, and walked off looking every inch like a man who expects this to be the next step toward another shot at gold.
Across from him, China’s own Song Yadong matched the intensity and the scale, registering 136 pounds. For Song, this is more than a main event. It’s a showcase on home soil, a chance to turn the roar of a Shanghai crowd into fuel against one of the most suffocating technicians in the division.
One man brings a suffocating grappling pedigree and an unbeaten aura at the elite level. The other brings power, youth, and a country behind him. The numbers are in. The stakes are obvious.
Strawweight contenders clear the bar
The co-main event adds a different kind of tension.
Yan Xiaonan, one of China’s standard-bearers at 115 pounds, hit 115.5 on the scale. She looked composed, aware of the significance of sharing a marquee slot in Shanghai with a fellow Chinese headliner. A win here would keep her firmly in the conversation among strawweight title hopefuls.
Opposite her, Denise Gomes came in at 115 pounds even, a clean, professional hit that underlines how seriously she is taking the moment. Two contenders, both on weight, both chasing the same narrow path toward a title shot. There is no room for error at strawweight, and neither woman showed any on the scale.
Aoriqileng–Asakura set for fireworks
If the main event promises high stakes, the bantamweight bout between Aoriqileng and Kai Asakura threatens chaos.
Aoriqileng weighed in at 135.5 pounds, the picture of readiness for what many expect to be an all-action contest. Asakura’s official weight was not listed at the time of the update, but he remains slated for the bout, with the matchup still anchored to the main card. On paper, it’s a stylistic clash built for the Shanghai crowd: aggression, pace, and little interest in taking a backward step.
Flyweights on track: Perez vs. Sumudaerji
At 125 pounds, Alex Perez and Sumudaerji bring a different tempo to the card.
Sumudaerji hit 125 on the dot, confirming his place in one of the night’s most intriguing flyweight pairings. Perez’s weight was not disclosed in the text update, but the bout remains in place for the main card. If Sumudaerji’s speed and length meet Perez’s experience and grit at full throttle, this one could steal a chunk of the spotlight.
Light heavyweight power and flyweight precision
The main card’s heavier hitters also did their part.
Levi Rodrigues Jr. and Ce Liu both weighed in at 206 pounds for their light heavyweight showdown. No excess, no issues. Two big men, one division above the glamour weights, ready to test chins and resolve in front of a packed arena.
At flyweight, Bilal Hasan came in at 124.5 pounds, while Nilson Rojas’ number was not listed but the fight remains booked at 125. Hasan’s sharp cut hints at a man ready to lean on speed and movement in a division where every ounce of energy counts.
Prelims: local talent, rising prospects, and clean hits
The undercard on Paramount+ offers a blend of local promise and global ambition, and the scales reflected that.
Rei Tsuruya and Kevin Borjas both nailed 125 pounds for their flyweight meeting, a crisp, professional pairing that should deliver high-paced scrambles and sharp striking exchanges.
At bantamweight, Long Xiao registered 135 pounds, with Francesco Nuzzi at 136. The one-pound allowance for non-title fights keeps this matchup intact, and the numbers suggest both men are ready for a hard three-rounder.
Featherweight Jack Jenkins weighed in at 145.5 pounds for his clash with Sean Woodson, whose weight was not listed but whose presence on the card remains. Jenkins brings pressure; Woodson brings length. The scale has done its part. The cage will decide the rest.
Another bantamweight tilt sees Lawrence Lui at 135.5 pounds and Hector Santiago at 135, both locked in and legal. It’s the kind of fight that often shapes careers quietly on prelims before one name suddenly surges up a division’s ladder.
At welterweight, Meng Ding and Cam Nelson both came in at 170 pounds, a clean, even pairing that sets up a physically imposing clash at 170. For Meng Ding, it’s a chance to deliver a statement in front of his home fans; for Nelson, an opportunity to silence them.
The women’s strawweight bout between Jingnan Xiong and Julia Polastri had no official weights listed in the update, but the contest remains part of the prelims slate, adding more depth to an already stacked 115-pound picture on this card.
Shanghai ready for a statement night
No titles are on the line in Shanghai, but the implications run deep. Bantamweight contenders are circling the top. Strawweights are jostling for position. Local heroes are stepping into the spotlight with a nation watching.
The scales have spoken. The numbers are set. Now it’s up to Umar Nurmagomedov, Song Yadong, Yan Xiaonan, Denise Gomes, and the rest of the card to decide whether UFC Shanghai is remembered as a routine stop on the calendar—or the night a new wave announced itself to the world.
