Coach Khabib Issues Major Target for Cousin Umar Nurmagomedov to Become UFC Champion

UFC lightweight legend Khabib Nurmagomedov talks about what's next for Umar Nurmagomedov following his recent win at UFC 324.

Coach Khabib Issues Major Target for Cousin Umar Nurmagomedov to Become UFC Champion

Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Umar Nurmagomedov needs to fight top bantamweights (via X)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s journey as a coach has been mostly successful, with both Islam Makhachev and Usman Nurmagomedov becoming champions. However, the same cannot be said about Umar Nurmagomedov, who previously missed out on a title opportunity. However, going forward, Khabib has big plans for Umar, which involve dominating everyone in the bantamweight division. 

Umar Nurmagomedov recently fought on the UFC 324 preliminary card against Deiveson Figueiredo and secured a unanimous decision victory. The Dagestani fighter won after three rounds of back-and-forth action, with judges scoring the contest in his favor.

With this win, Umar is now on a two-fight winning streak, having previously defeated Mario Bautista three months ago. Following the fight, Khabib Nurmagomedov spoke in a recent interview and discussed Umar’s future plans within the division.

Umar really needed to break into this top four. We’re fine with any matchup — whoever they give us, we’ll take the fight. The goal is to face all the top guys on the road to the title. Those who said everything came easy for Umar in the UFC now see and understand that he belongs among the elite of this weight class.

Khabib Nurmagomedov via Telegram 

Umar Nurmagomedov is currently in no hurry to get another title shot and is not thinking about it right now. The fighter has mentioned that he wants to stay active and fight as much as possible and force the UFC officials. Umar has often been accused of getting special treatment because of his relationship with Khabib Nurmagomedov and wants to change that narrative. 

On the same UFC 324 card, Sean O’Malley fought Song Yadong and won via unanimous decision in a competitive bout. Following that win, O’Malley is now among the frontrunner for the title bout within the bantamweight division rankings. Other than him, former champion Merab Dvalishvili believes he can get a title rematch against Petr Yan in the future.

The UFC bantamweight division currently has many doubts, and fans believe everything will be clear before the White House event card. It would be interesting to see who will fight the champion next if the title is on the line officially.

UFC veteran wants Umar Nurmagomedov to fight Petr Yan next 

Last year, Petr Yan shocked the world by defeating Merab Dvalishvili and capturing the UFC bantamweight title decisively. The Russian entered the fight as an underdog, but his striking volume and pressure proved overwhelming for Dvalishvili. Following the victory, Yan made it clear he was open to a title rematch with the Georgian if the promotion wanted it.

Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Petr Yan
Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Petr Yan (via X)

Many fans believe a potential matchup between Petr Yan and Umar Nurmagomedov could be an exciting stylistic clash. According to Khabib Nurmagomedov, both fighters share a rivalry that ultimately needs to be settled inside the Octagon. In a recent interview, Jorge Masvidal backed Umar to face Yan in a high-stakes title clash.

Umar is one of the best guys in the world. It’s a tricky style. I want to see Umar fight again soon. I want to see him fight the best in the world, because I really believe this guy could probably be champion. Petr Yan and him is gonna be pay-per-view. That fight is gonna be insane.

Jorge Masvidal via Deatherow MMA 

Petr Yan recently underwent successful surgery addressing a lingering injury, according to reports shared by his team publicly this week. The bantamweight champion is expected to make a full recovery and resume training soon, delaying any immediate fight plans. With the White House event in almost six months, his next fight could definitely coincide closer to the mega event.

Also Read: