Usman Nurmagomedov denies trying to attack Song Yadong after devastating UFC knockout as statement issued
Usman Nurmagomedov has released a statement responding to viral footage that appears to show him trying to attack UFC star Song Yadong after his latest knockout win.
In a spectacular fight that could prove to be vital for the future of the UFC bantamweight division, top contender Yadong secured the biggest win of his career when he knocked out former title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov.
Heading into the fight Nurmagomedov, younger cousin to UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, was a heavy favourite, with many MMA fans viewing him as the champion-in-waiting despite losing his last title shot.
But things didn't go to plan for the Russian, as Song caught him going for a takedown in the second round, knocking him out cold and picking up the upset victory.
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After the stunning finish to the fight, Song immediately began sprinting around the octagon to celebrate while PFL Lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov jumped over the fence to check on his brother.
However, things took a bad turn quickly as Song ran past Usman as the PFL star put his hand on the UFC contender's throat and appeared to throw a backward elbow.
Although Usman did pull out of the strike before it connected, footage of the incident quickly went viral online, with fans calling him out for his behaviour.
Hours later, the PFL champion decided to respond to the backlash, releasing an angry statement on social media denying that he tried to attack Yadong.
“Only what has been ordained for us will befall us,” Usman wrote on Instagram.
“In any situation — Alhamdulillah. People are making such a huge tragedy out of this; they really ought to calm down. There are far worse things. You don’t need to think long — just look at what is happening in the world.”
“And as for the claim that I supposedly wanted to hit his opponent ... if I had wanted to, I would have hit him. You spiteful, petty and envious people — your problem is that you have never known, nor will you ever know, family love and understanding.
"If you don’t know what a brother means to a brother, then it is not me you should pity, but yourselves.”
As it stands, it is unclear if the UFC will punish Usman both for jumping the cage and almost attacking Yadong post-fight, but with the lightweight star currently heavily rumoured to be moving to the UFC in the near furture following the expiration of his PFL contract, it seems unlikely that such a punishment will happen.
Daniel Cormier reacts to Usman Nurmagomedov controversy
Shortly after the fight, former double UFC champion Cormier, who maintains a close relationship with the Nurmagomedov camp, released a video reacting to the controversial moment.
“He did not elbow him,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel.
“Let’s stop making conspiracy theories out there, people. He did not elbow him, and he did not attack Song Yadong. What he did was try to get to his brother. Now, that in itself is not allowed. We are not allowed to do that.”
“If there’s anyone, obviously, that you care about immensely and you wanna try to rush to their side in that moment, it is your brother.
“[Your] blood brother, not a brother as in a friend that you love, not a cousin, not a relative. This is his actual brother. So he jumps to the octagon, which is not allowed. But if there’s any time that someone will deal on emotion, you would think that it was this.
"I am more inclined to give him a bit of grace because you watch your brother get sparked in that way. But he’s not the first brother to get beat. Obviously, he needs to learn how to handle that a little bit better if it is to ever happen again.”
Cormier also revealed that the reason why Usman could face a punishment for jumping the cage is because of a rule brought in to stop chaotic incidents like the infamous fallout after Conor McGregor's loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018.
Ben McCrum