The post-fight controversy from UFC Shanghai refused to die down. After Usman Nurmagomedov jumped the cage and reportedly came close to connecting with a spinning elbow on Song Yadong during his celebration, the MMA world split into two camps. Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier has now stepped in with a clear verdict: Usman did not attack Song Yadong and the conspiracy theories need to stop.
What Happened
Song Yadong knocked out Umar Nurmagomedov 20-2-0 with a perfectly timed uppercut at 1:48 of Round 2 in the UFC Shanghai main event on August 29, 2026. The moment the referee waved off the fight, Usman Nurmagomedov leaped over the cage fence and rushed into the Octagon toward his fallen brother.
Song was still sprinting around the Octagon in celebration when the two men crossed paths. Usman reportedly shoved Song and then appeared to nearly hit him with an elbow as the victorious fighter continued running around behind him. The moment was captured from multiple camera angles and spread rapidly across social media within minutes of the main event ending.Â
Various posts suggested that when watching the footage in slow-motion, it appeared Usman had planned to throw the elbow but then held back. The debate dominated MMA conversation throughout the night and into the following day.Â
Daniel Cormier Steps In
Daniel Cormier defended Usman Nurmagomedov from the criticism, arguing that no contact was made, even if it appeared that the intention was there for a moment.Â
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Cormier delivered a precise breakdown of what the footage actually showed. Cormier said: “Song Yadong is running in the direction of Usman, Usman reaches to stop him, like they were gonna make contact together. He did not elbow him, let’s stop making conspiracy theories out there people, he did not elbow him. He did not attack Song Yadong. If there’s anyone that you care about immensely and you wanna rush to their side in that moment, it’s your brother.”Â
Cormier acknowledged that while it is understandable that Usman would want to check on his brother after watching him get knocked out, corners are not permitted to enter the Octagon at that point. He drew a clear line between what the rules say and what actually happened in terms of physical contact.Â
Cormier also used the segment to make a wider point about Umar Nurmagomedov’s performance. The UFC commentator argued that for as much credit as Song Yadong deserves for the result, equal credit should go to Umar, who put his position in the division on the line while constantly dealing with the pressure of living up to the great fighters around him.
Key Details
Some fans called for Usman’s corner license to be revoked after he jumped the cage. Others went further and called on the UFC to revoke any plans to sign the highly regarded free agent following the end of his PFL contract.
Cormier’s defense of Usman did not go down well with a section of the fanbase. When the former UFC champion came to Usman’s defense, he found plenty of fans waiting for him in the replies. The backlash against Cormier was significant, with many fans accusing him of bias toward the Dagestani team.Â
Usman Nurmagomedov also released his own statement on social media. He addressed the criticism directly, writing that people were making a bigger tragedy out of the incident than it deserved and challenging critics who questioned his family loyalty.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, who was present in Umar’s corner, was later seen wiping the blood from Song’s cut when the two spoke after the bout a detail that supporters of the Nurmagomedov family pointed to as evidence that the post-fight atmosphere was not as hostile as the initial footage suggested.Â
What This Means
The question of whether Usman Nurmagomedov faces any official punishment remains open. There is precedent for fighters and cornermen being disciplined for jumping over the Octagon at the wrong moment. As of this writing, neither the UFC nor any athletic commission has announced a formal investigation or disciplinary action.
Cormier’s intervention carries weight in this conversation. He is a former UFC Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight (205 lbs / 93.0 kg) champion, a Hall of Famer, and one of the most respected analysts currently working in MMA. His read on fight footage is taken seriously by a large section of the UFC fanbase.
The incident also raises a broader question about the UFC’s post-fight protocols for corner teams. The rules are clear corners are not permitted inside the Octagon until officials allow entry. Whether those rules are enforced consistently across all teams is a conversation the MMA community has been having for years.
What is not in dispute is the sporting result. Song Yadong 24-9-1 produced one of the biggest upsets of 2026 and enters the bantamweight title conversation immediately. The controversy around Usman’s cage jump cannot and should not overshadow what Song achieved inside the Octagon on home soil in Shanghai.
Background Context
Daniel Cormier 22-3-0 is a former UFC Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight champion who retired in 2020. He has been a permanent fixture as a UFC broadcaster and analyst since, working alongside Jon Anik on major pay-per-view events. He is also a training partner and close associate of Khabib Nurmagomedov from their years together at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA).
Usman Nurmagomedov 23-2-0 is the reigning PFL Lightweight champion and is widely expected to join the UFC when his PFL contract expires. He is the younger cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov and trains alongside Umar as part of the extended Dagestani MMA network. His UFC signing has been one of the most anticipated free agency moves in MMA.
Umar Nurmagomedov 20-2-0 now faces a rebuilding period after suffering the first knockout loss of his professional career. He posted on Instagram hours after the fight that he would work on his mistakes and return stronger. For the full breakdown of what happened on fight night, see our UFC Shanghai full results article and the Usman Nurmagomedov UFC Shanghai post-fight controversy article.
Conclusion
Daniel Cormier has delivered a clear and reasoned defense of Usman Nurmagomedov’s actions at UFC Shanghai. No elbow connected, no attack took place, and a brother running to check on a fallen sibling is not a conspiracy. Whether the UFC takes any formal action over the cage jump itself remains to be seen. What Cormier’s intervention does is shift the conversation away from wild speculation and back toward the facts — and the facts show that the only thing that mattered inside the Octagon on August 29 was Song Yadong’s fist connecting with Umar Nurmagomedov’s head at exactly the right moment.
