One PFL belt is enough to keep Usman Nurmagomedov satisfied for whatever time he has left in the organization.
After added another notch to his undefeated record with a third-round submission of Alfie Davis (20-6-1) to defend lightweight gold on Saturday at PFL: Road to Dubai, there are many questions about what the future holds for Nurmagomedov (21-0).
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The Dagestani standout revealed to MMA Junkie in December that he had two fights left on his contract, and now there’s just one remaining, which means negotiations about a renewal could soon be underway. There is much interest in Nurmagomedov moving to UFC, but his manager told MMA Junkie that financials will play a huge role.
When asked about what his future in PFL could look like, Nurmagomedov was mum on a clear answer. What doesn’t appear to be part of his plan, however, is attempting to mimic the success of teammate Islam Makhachev and move to welterweight for a second strap.
“Skip,” Nurmagomedov said in response to a free agency question at the post-fight press conference. “For the second division, the champion is from Dagestan. We already have this belt so I don’t feel like I have to take this belt. You never know (in the future).”
Nurmagomedov, 27, delivered an emphatic performance against Davis in Dubai, controlling the fight before a slick grappling transition to finish the job with a rear-naked choke. Davis was speaking with glowing confidence prior to the event, claiming he had the answer to Nurmagomedov’s game and would give him his first loss.
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Reality played out much different, and Nurmagomedov was pleased to get his first stoppage result since March 2023.
“Yes of course I always like to finish fight, but sometimes it’s very difficult when you’re fighting high-level fighters,” Nurmagomedov said. “You have to be smart and you can’t rush. That’s why I don’t rush. I can’t rush because this guy is doing some crazy stuff. You never know what he’s going to do next. Elbow, knee – it’s very hard to catch him so I was trying to stay focused and just doing my job and the finish will come.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Usman Nurmagomedov not interested in second PFL belt after Dubai win
