Zuffa LLC

Henry Cejudo believes Umar Nurmagomedov would’ve beaten Song Yadong on most nights, but UFC Shanghai got away from him.

Nurmagomedov was hoping to make a case for the winner of Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili 3, but the tables turned in a significant way this past Saturday. Nurmagomedov was knocked out for the first time in his pro MMA career. It was a statement-making victory for Yadong, who will return to the top five rankings at bantamweight.

Responding to the setback on the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast, Cejudo shared his belief that Nurmagomedov would’ve had his way with Yadong on any other night.

“He just got caught, bro,” Cejudo said. “This is just a game of being caught. Sometimes you get caught. I think nine out of 10 times Umar gets it done in whatever he wants to in my opinion. This is just one of those times, this is one of those fights where legit you get caught on the spot and that’s it.”

Cejudo also thinks that Nurmagomedov might have run into some weight cutting issues, which may have made it easier for Yadong to put his opponent to sleep.

“My question is for Umar, I wonder if he’s cutting too much weight because that right uppercut did land, but sometimes when you don’t have that much water in your brain, bro, things can kind of go off.”

Regardless, Yadong now moves back up the ladder while Nurmagomedov faces his steepest slide up to this point. How Nurmagomedov will bounce back after being stopped for the first time will be a story to watch. For now, he will have to regroup and figure out how he can eventually achieve his goal of becoming a UFC champion.

Do you think Henry Cejudo is making an excuse for Song Yadong, or do you think he brings up a valid point? Chime in with your opinion in the comments below.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM