Nurmagomedov Vows No More Wrestling After Song KO

Umar Nurmagomedov plans to abandon the grappling foundation that built his family's MMA legacy.

The bantamweight contender told manager Ali Abdelaziz he will no longer wrestle following his knockout loss to Song Yadong at UFC Shanghai, according to a Submission Radio interview. The stoppage marked the first time Nurmagomedov had been finished in his professional career and derailed his second run at the 135-pound title after a decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili.

Nurmagomedov's New Striking-Only Approach

Abdelaziz said Nurmagomedov called him with a clear directive for his next training camp. "I'm not a wrestler; I'm not going to wrestle again. I'm going to knock everybody out and I'm going to make sure I make it look easy," Abdelaziz quoted the fighter as saying, per BJPenn.com. The manager added that he felt genuine conviction in Nurmagomedov's voice during the conversation.

Nurmagomedov, cousin to Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, had rebounded from the Dvalishvili setback with wins over Mario Bautista and Deiveson Figueiredo before the Song upset. While his striking has progressed beyond many Dagestani teammates, the decision to completely shelve his wrestling represents a departure from the style that carried him to title contention.

Abdelaziz called 2027 the biggest year of Nurmagomedov's career and said the bantamweight will return "with vengeance." No next opponent or fight date has been announced.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Umar Nurmagomedov promises major style change after Song Yadong knockout loss