Yadong Song believes Umar Nurmagomedov will most likely have to go through him to secure a bantamweight title shot.
While Nurmagomedov has been demanding a title shot against Merab Dvalishvili, the champ thinks the undefeated contender still has more to prove for a gold bid. Nurmagomedov was then reportedly on the verge of finalizing a UFC Tampa headliner matchup against Song in December. However, Nurmagomedov announced soon after that the booking was off as Yadong won’t be ready to fight at that event.
Nurmagomedov has since been going back and forth with Dvalishvili, who has consistently accused the Dagestani of enjoying privileges due to his relation to cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov has verbally agreed to postpone the Song matchup to UFC 311 in January if Dvalishvili doesn’t agree to fight him. And “Kung Fu Kid” is positive that Nurmagomedov will have to fight him in January, unless Dvalishvili accepts the matchup before that. However, that is unlikely given Dvalishvili’s reluctance to fight Nurmagomedov and the fact the Georgian won the belt just this past September. Regardless, Song knows nothing is certain until he has put pen to paper. The Chinese contender is keen to be on the UFC 311 card on Jan. 18 at the Intuit Center in Los Angeles even if it’s not against Nurmagomedov.
“I think this fight is very likely to happen… I made a comment on his post and I said, ‘I want to fight Umar in January.’ And he said, ‘If Merab doesn’t fight me, I will fight you.’ But I think this depends on Merab,” Song told Helen Yee. “If Merab take the fight before March, I won’t fight Umar. But if he doesn’t fight Umar, I will fight him in January, I think. I think Merab won’t take the fight before then because he just got the belt, and it’s too soon for him… We’re waiting [for the contract]. Everything will be changed if you don’t sign… If not him, anybody else. I’m ready for anybody, just want to fight in January.”
