Abubakar Nurmagomedov's return
Abubakar Nurmagomedov, cousin of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, has his next combat sports assignment booked. Three years after his last fight and two years after parting ways with the UFC, Abubakar will compete in a wrestling match under the banner of AIGA, a grappling series in Turkey, as reported by Yardbarker.
The bout is a rematch against David Zawada, the man who submitted Abubakar in the first round of their UFC Moscow meeting in 2019. The pair will meet in an 84-kilogram contest at the ORA Arena in Istanbul.
Abubakar went 2-2 during his UFC tenure. After losing his debut to Zawada, he defeated Jared Gooden and Gadzhi Omargadzhiev in back-to-back fights. His final appearance inside the Octagon came in 2024, a split decision loss to Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos.
Before his UFC debut, Abubakar was known to fans for his role in the brawl that followed Khabib's submission of Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in 2018. Alongside Zubaira Tukhugov, he was handed a one-year suspension and a $25,000 fine after climbing the cage to get to McGregor.
In 2025, Abubakar was scheduled to return to MMA under the Global Fight League banner, but that organization did not stage a single event, according to Yardbarker.
UFC Shanghai main event
While Abubakar prepares for his wrestling return, his cousin Umar Nurmagomedov headlines UFC Shanghai this Saturday. Umar, a former bantamweight title challenger, faces Song Yadong in a 135-pound bout at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium in Shanghai, China, as reported by both Yahoo News New Zealand and Yardbarker.
The event also features a strawweight co-main event between Yan Xiaonan and Denise Gomes at 115 pounds. Other bouts on the main card include Kai Asakura against Aoriqileng, Alex Perez versus Sumudaerji, Levi Rodrigues Jr. against Ce Liu, and Bilal Hasan versus Nilson Rojas.
The card is broadcast on Paramount+, with weigh-ins expected to start at 9 p.m. ET. The UFC, serving as its own athletic commission, affords a one-pound allowance in non-title fights.
Weigh-in results
Weigh-in results for the main card fighters were reported by Yahoo News New Zealand. Umar Nurmagomedov weighed in at 135.5 pounds, while Song Yadong hit 136 pounds. Yan Xiaonan weighed 115.5 pounds and Denise Gomes came in at 115 pounds.
Aoriqileng weighed 135.5 pounds for his bout against Kai Asakura, who also weighed 135.5 pounds. Sumudaerji weighed 125 pounds for his fight with Alex Perez, whose weight was not recorded. Levi Rodrigues Jr. weighed 206 pounds for his bout against Ce Liu, who also weighed 206 pounds. Bilal Hasan weighed 124.5 pounds, as did his opponent Nilson Rojas.
On the prelims, Andre Lima weighed 127 pounds, missing weight for his flyweight bout against Namsrai Batbayar. Rei Tsuruya weighed 125 pounds, Jack Jenkins weighed 145.5 pounds, Francesco Nuzzi weighed 136 pounds, and Long Xiao weighed 135 pounds for their respective bouts.