Usman Nurmagomedov is officially the biggest free agent in combat sports after he demolished Archie Colgan this past Friday to finish his current contract with the PFL.
With an undefeated record, a dominant style on the feet and on the ground and coming from one of the top teams in MMA history, Nurmagomedov is entering the prime of his career with the chance to truly decide his future with his next contract. The powers-that-be at PFL-MVP — including CEO John Martin and Jake Paul — have made it clear they want to keep Nurmagomedov but there’s little doubt that the allure of going to the UFC is definitely an enticing option.
While he didn’t offer much on the subject, UFC CEO Dana White reacted to Nurmagomedov’s free agency and if the UFC was interested in potentially pursuing him now that he’s available.
“Sure,” White said with a big smile on his face during the UFC Belgrade post-fight press conference.
White added another smile-face emoji when his initial reaction started making the rounds on social media. What that exactly means is left up for interpretation but it’s impossible to believe the UFC won’t make a serious push to sign Nurmagomedov to the roster, especially considered the promotion’s ties to his family in the past.
Currently, Nurmagomedov’s longtime teammate and training partner Islam Makhachev is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC while his younger brother Umar Nurmagomedov is a top ranked bantamweight.
Add to that, UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov serves his cousin’s head coach and he already declared Usman as the best lightweight in the world outside of the UFC.
On Instagram, Khabib made a post praising his cousin Usman and the skills he continues to display in all of his fights. As far as the future goes, Khabib added “negotiations will be held next month” and he expects to have an answer “very soon” as far as Usman’s fighting future.
Does that mean he’s destined to sign with the UFC?
That remains to be seen but Usman Nurmagomedov is definitely setting the stage as the biggest free agent to hit the market since two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison was available. She obviously signed with the UFC and now serves as bantamweight champion.
