Umar Nurmagomedov calls Song Yadong 'punching bag' ahead of rumored matchup

Umar Nurmagomedov dismissed Song Yadong as a "punching bag" and said he's interested in facing the Chinese bantamweight after his original July opponent pulled out with an injury.

Nurmagomedov was slated to meet David Martinez at UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25, but Martinez withdrew from the booking. According to Sherdog, Song has emerged as the likely replacement for a later date. The Dagestani contender made clear he's happy with the shift.

"Of course, I'm interested," Nurmagomedov told Adam Zubayraev. "[Song] is a punching bag. How did he do against O'Malley? He was dead by the third round."

Nurmagomedov unimpressed by Song's recent performances

Nurmagomedov pointed to Song's lopsided loss against Sean O'Malley earlier this year as evidence that the Chinese fighter doesn't belong among the division's elite. "I don't consider him a top-class fighter, honestly," he said.

Nurmagomedov holds a 20-1 professional record and went unbeaten through seven UFC appearances before dropping a bantamweight title challenge to Merab Dvalishvili last year. He's since won back-to-back fights over Mario Bautista and Deiveson Figueiredo. Song sits at 23-9 and has split his last four bouts, beating Henry Cejudo and Figueiredo while losing to Petr Yan and O'Malley.

No official announcement has been made for the rescheduled fight.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Umar Nurmagomedov eager for rumored bout against 'punching bag' Yadong Song