"Please don't feel sorry for me" - Nurmagomedov made a statement after his knockout defeat

Nurmagomedov after knockout: "Please don't feel sorry for me"

Russian mixed martial artist Umar Nurmagomedov (20-2) has issued a statement following his defeat to China's Song Yadong (24-9-1) at UFC Fight Night 286 in Shanghai, China.

Nurmagomedov appealed to fans not to worry about the outcome of the fight. He stressed that he will learn from the defeat and return to the octagon stronger.

"Thank God, I'm doing great. Thank you to everyone who wrote to me, prayed for me and supported me. But please don't feel sorry for me. It was just a fight. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. I'm completely healthy, everything is fine. I'll learn from this, come back stronger and one day I'll become a champion. Thank you again for your love and support," Nurmagomedov wrote on his social media page.

For your information, the fight between Umar and Song ended in a knockout in the second round.

This was the 30-year-old Russian's second defeat in the UFC. He has won eight fights under the organization's banner. Nurmagomedov has been working with the world's most prestigious MMA promotion since 2021.

He suffered his first defeat in his professional career in January 2025. At that time, he lost the UFC lightweight championship fight to Georgian Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision.

Song Yadong, 28, has been representing China in the UFC since 2017. After the victory over Nurmagomedov, his record in the organization was 13 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw.

Nurmagomedov is the cousin of former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and the brother of current PFL champion Usman Nurmagomedov.