Usman Nurmagomedov is not only the PFL lightweight champion, but he was ranked as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter when the league released its own rankings recently. But as he prepares for his return at PFL Dubai on Saturday, he does so with only two fights remaining on his contract.
The undefeated Russian, who comes from the same camp as UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev while training under UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, was a stalwart in Bellator before moving over to the PFL. As the top-ranked fighter in the 155-pound division, Usman is one of the most recognizable faces on the entire roster.
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But he rarely escapes any conversation without questions about his future, especially if he hits free agency after he completes his current contract. So what is it going to take for PFL to retain Nurmagomedov and keep him on the roster?
“If they will pay, we will see what’s going to happen,” Nurmagomedov told MMA Fighting. “How much they are ready to pay. We will see.”
To be perfectly clear, Nurmagomedov only has good things to say about the PFL and the way the organization has treated him. He doesn’t expect that to change and the 27-year-old lightweight appreciates everything PFL has done for him already.
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Nurmagomedov also stands by the fact that he can be considered one of the best fighters in the world even if he’s not competing in the UFC.
“Of course, I’m happy,” Nurmagomedov said. “I’m a champion in PFL. There is a very good staff, there is good people and I’m so happy with them. We have a good relationship with PFL and a very kind relationship. I can be a star in PFL, too.
“I have a name, of course everybody knows, this is part of life if you’re Khabib’s brother. But even if you’re Khabib’s brother, if you’re not in the UFC you can still make your legacy in other leagues, too, in PFL. Why not? If you’re not losing and you’re going to be beating all the guys, why not?”
While his own star power has continued to grow, Nurmagomedov acknowledges that having a worthwhile counterpart matters and that’s where PFL has some work to do.
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On Saturday he faces Alfie Davis, a veteran British lightweight with a 20-5-1 record including a win over Nurmagomedov’s teammate Gadzhi Rabadanov in his most recent outing. Davis is legit, but Nurmagomedov recognizes that he’s just unknown to the vast majority of the fanbase.
“PFL has so many fighters. The problem is they’re not so popular,” Nurmagomedov said. “They’re beginning to get popular when the get a fight with me. Like Alfie, he begins talking. Nobody knows Alfie. Even when people ask me who I’m fighting, I say Alfie and they say, ‘Who’s Alfie?’ I said someone from England, I’ll fight with him.”
The PFL has every desire to keep Nurmagomedov beyond the life of his current deal but negotiations on an extension still have to happen. CEO John Martin praised Nurmagomedov as a champion and the No. 1 fighter in the promotion and he plans on doing everything possible to keep him on the roster.
“I’d like him to stay within the PFL,” Martin told MMA Fighting. “I’m not looking past [Alfie Davis], he’s got a fight on Feb. 7 and we’ll take it one fight at a time. I think he’s got a great home here and of course, he’s a huge talent. He’s a huge global superstar. I expect us to be competitive for anybody that we either want to attract or retain.”
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Long term, Nurmagomedov has made it known he wants to be considered the best lightweight in the sport — a feat he’ll chase even harder now that friend and teammate Islam Makhachev has officially moved to 170 pounds in the UFC.
Prior to Makhachev winning the UFC welterweight title, Nurmagomedov touted him as the best lightweight in the sport but now the torch has been passed.
“By my side, my opinion, I’m the best lightweight in the world right now,” Nurmagomedov said. “But when somebody tells you ‘I’m the best,’ where I’m from, we are not the people who will say this. If you’re going to say this to me, I’ll agree. But if I’m going to call myself like that, it’s going to be make me somebody who believes in himself but I don’t believe in myself too much. I believe in God first of all and even then, everything is from God, my opinion.
“If we will talk about fighting, I’m for sure the best fighter in the world in lightweight right now. 20-0, who has this? Nobody has this. Nobody is even close.”
That’s a statement that Nurmagomedov plans to back up on Saturday and he hopes the PFL does the same when it comes time to talk about a new contract.
