Nurmagomedov Destroys Colgan

Usman Nurmagomedov had a message for Dana White and Jake Paul on Saturday night, and he delivered it in the first round.

Nurmagomedov put his PFL lightweight title on the line against undefeated Archie Colgan. Usman spent the early portion of the round establishing distance with front kicks and teeps to the body, softening Colgan up before switching the angle with a question mark kick that cracked him on the side of the head and sent him to the canvas.

Colgan showed heart, getting back to his feet quickly. It did not help him. Nurmagomedov stepped on the gas and dropped him a second time with an uppercut. This time Colgan did not get up, and Nurmagomedov jumped on top with ground strikes until the referee pulled him off.

The win mattered beyond the scorecards. It was the final fight of Nurmagomedov's PFL contract, which meant he walked out of UBS Arena as a free agent at 22-0, the undefeated, undisputed PFL lightweight champion, with every promotion in combat sports theoretically in play. He wasted no time making the dynamics explicit. On Dana White and the UFC, he kept it brief — he will see what is being offered.

"Money will. Why? Jake Paul talks about Dana White doesn't pay his fighters. Now's his chance to show how he pays people when they deserve it. 22-0, undefeated, undisputed lightweight champion of the world. Do we think I deserve it?,” Nurmagomedov

If Paul keeps him in the PFL at the number Nurmagomedov believes he deserves, it validates the pitch. If the UFC outbids him, the argument that MVP-PFL is the fighter-friendly alternative takes a credibility hit before it has fully established itself.

The UFC's interest in Nurmagomedov has been discussed for a while. Dana White has acknowledged his talent on multiple occasions. The lightweight division — where Islam Makhachev has moved up to welterweight and the title picture has shifted — has room for a 22-0 undefeated champion who finishes opponents the way Nurmagomedov finishes opponents.

He made a statement to the lightweight division. He made a statement to Dana White. And he handed Jake Paul the loudest possible invoice.