Dana White On Usman Nurmagomedov's Free Agency
Dana White made clear the UFC wants Usman Nurmagomedov after the undefeated lightweight finished his PFL contract Friday night.
Asked if the UFC was interested in signing Nurmagomedov following his stoppage of Archie Colgan at PFL New York, White grinned and said one word: "Sure," per MMA Fighting. He later posted a smiling emoji on social media when the clip started circulating.
Khabib Confirms Talks Coming Soon
Khabib Nurmagomedov, who coaches his cousin Usman, wrote on Instagram that negotiations will start next month and a decision will come "very soon." The UFC Hall of Famer called Usman the best lightweight outside the promotion. "When I said in 2020 that Islam was the best at that time, there were many people who disagreed," Khabib wrote, according to Sherdog. "Believe me guys, there are levels to this game."
Nurmagomedov enters free agency with an unblemished record and connections to the UFC through his family. Islam Makhachev, his longtime teammate, sits at No. 1 pound-for-pound in the promotion. His younger brother Umar is a top-ranked bantamweight.
PFL CEO John Martin and MVP co-founder Jake Paul have both said they want to keep Nurmagomedov in the fold after the league's merger with Most Valuable Promotions. A resolution is expected within weeks.
Original reporting:
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