The undefeated prospect will make his Octagon debut against fellow
promotional newcomer Nilson
Rojas at
UFC Shanghai on Aug. 29, with the significance of the date not
lost on Hasan.

Bilal Hasan plans a special walkout for his UFC Shanghai fight
against Nilson Rojas

Hasan takes on Rojas on Michael Jackson’s birthday, a coincidence
he described as almost prophetic.

“It still feels so surreal to be halfway across the world fighting
in China on August 29th on Michael Jackson’s birthday,†Hasan said
in a recent interview. “Sounds like something out of like a
prophecy or something like that. It still doesn’t feel real.â€

Hasan, a big fan of “The King of Pop,†plans to make the occasion
memorable with his walkout.

“I have a sick walkout planned,†he added.

The matchup will open the UFC Shanghai main card, giving Hasan his
first opportunity to compete since earning his contract on
Week 1 of
Dana White's Contender Series Season 10.

Rojas will also make his UFC debut at the event, pitting two
unbeaten prospects against one another. Hasan has emphasized that
he wants to do more than simply win, aiming to give fans a complete
performance.

“They’re going to expect a performance from start to finish,†Hasan
said. “They’re going to be watching every second of it and they’re
going to be seeing me enjoying every second of it.â€

Song claims to be well-equipped to deal with Nurmagomedov's
grappling prowess ahead of their
Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight clash at
UFC Shanghai. The Chinese 135-pounder even worked with Georgian
wrestlers who are familiar with the wrestling system used by
Nurmagomedov's team.

Yadong Song trained with Olympic and world champions ahead of
UFC Shanghai

While Song is a competent grappler, he's well aware of the
challenge Nurmagomedov presents and is confident should the fight
hit the mat.

“Umar is a very tough guy,†Song said in a recent interview. “Even
everybody knows he’s a very good grappler. So, I just prefer to use
striking… But if you want to grapple, let’s grapple. Doesn’t
matter.â€

Song further revealed that he traveled to Georgia before beginning
his latest training camp, where he worked with Olympic and world
champions familiar with the style used by Khabib
Nurmagomedov’s team.

“So, before the camp start, I went to Georgia to train with the
Olympic champs, world champs,†Song added. “They teach me a lot and
they know what Khabib’s team does. So, they teach me some tricks. I
feel super ready for this fight.â€

The former
Rizin Fighting Federation champ endured a disappointing start
in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship, getting finished in his first
two appearances. He then secured a win after moving up to
bantamweight and is set to meet Qileng Aori
next at
UFC Shanghai.

Kai Asakura targets Qileng Aori knockout after successful move
to bantamweight

Asakura recorded his first win in the UFC against Cameron
Smotherman earlier this year. He claims he's settled in nicely
at bantamweight and vowed to finish Aori when they clash on Aug. 29
to extend his win streak. However, he isn't just looking for a win,
stating that he wants to show off some new moves as well en route
to finding the knockout.

“I will knock him out and I will show a new combination this
Saturday,†Asakura said at UFC Shanghai media day.

The Japanese fighter also revealed that he wants to stay active and
compete again before the end of the year. Additionally, Asakura
expressed interest in fighting in his native Japan, where he
expects strong interest in a UFC event.