Belal Muhammad: Song Yadong knocking out Umar Nurmagomedov ‘broke my heart’

Belal Muhammad has spoken out about the emotional fallout from Umar Nurmagomedov's stunning knockout loss to Song Yadong at UFC Shanghai, expressing deep sympathy for his longtime friend and training partner.

Nurmagomedov suffered the first knockout of his career when Song, a considerable underdog, landed a perfectly placed shot in the main event. The loss marked only the second defeat in Nurmagomedov's 21-fight professional record and sent shockwaves through the bantamweight division. The aftermath grew tense when Usman Nurmagomedov, Umar's brother, rushed into the octagon to check on his knocked-out sibling, briefly colliding with Song in what appeared to be a near altercation before the situation de-escalated.

On his YouTube channel, Muhammad expressed how the knockout devastated him—not out of disrespect for Song, but because of his intimate knowledge of Nurmagomedov's character and work ethic. Muhammad emphasized that Umar is one of the humblest and kindest people he knows, and lamented that internet trolls would use the loss as ammunition to attack him simply because of his association with Khabib Nurmagomedov's team. Muhammad also defended Umar against claims he disrespected Song, clarifying that comments attributed to Nurmagomedov during fight week were mistranslations and that Umar genuinely respects all his opponents.

Muhammad expressed understanding for Usman's emotional reaction, noting that cornering a family member is already nerve-wracking, let alone watching him get knocked out. He praised Khabib's attempt to prevent his younger brother from rushing the cage and highlighted that the situation ultimately showed no real malice. While acknowledging the potential severity had things escalated, Muhammad was relieved the incident resolved peacefully and reflected the respect Team Nurmagomedov has for Song as a competitor.