Usman Nurmagomedov is optimistic about his team’s upcoming fights, with Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov competing at UFC 311 and himself defending the Bellator lightweight title in Dubai, expressing confidence in their victories despite logistical challenges.
Usman Nurmagomedov’s got a lot on his plate these next two weeks. It all kicks off Saturday night. Islam Makhachev defends his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311. Meanwhile, Usman’s brother, Umar, is gunning for the bantamweight crown against Merab Dvalishvili. Oh, and don’t forget about their teammate Tagir Ulanbekov, who’s also fighting Clayton Carpenter that night.
Fast forward seven days, and it’s Usman’s turn to shine. He’ll be defending his Bellator lightweight title against Paul Hughes in Dubai. He’s banking on some serious momentum after what he hopes will be a clean sweep for his team at UFC 311. “I believe all these guys, Inshallah, will win on Jan. 18,” he shared with MMA Fighting. “It’s going to be a wonderful night for our team.”
Usman’s had to break away from his squad to get acclimated to Dubai’s climate and time zone before his own fight on Jan. 25. But he’s been keeping tabs with his coaches, including cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov, who’s expected to jet from UFC 311 in LA to Dubai for the PFL card the following week. Not exactly ideal, but hey, that’s life.
“It’s not pressure for me or because I’m not with my team,” Usman insists. “I’m online; we have phones; now we can talk in real-time. It’s all good. Not a problem.” When it comes to UFC 311’s title fights, Usman’s spent plenty of time training alongside Makhachev since they both compete at 155 pounds.
He’s got zero doubts about Makhachev taking the win. In fact, he thinks the reigning champ might surprise some folks in the rematch against Tsarukyan. Their first bout? Tsarukyan gave Makhachev a run for his money—on short notice and during his UFC debut, no less! Now Tsarukyan’s the clear No. 1 contender with wins over big names like Charles Oliviera and Beneil Dariush.
Despite Tsarukyan’s rise, Usman doesn’t see him bringing anything new to the table that Makhachev hasn’t already handled. “My opinion, Islam can finish Arman Tsarukyan this time,” Usman predicts. “I see how I can beat Arman; I see his mistakes. But Islam is better than me, and my opinion, he will finish him.”
As for Umar’s fight against Dvalishvili? Usman’s confident his brother will snag the UFC championship for the first time in his career. “About Umar and Merab, Umar is going to finish him in second or third round,” he says. “Umar is going to finish him. This is for sure because I know Umar’s skills and I believe it.”
Lofty expectations? Sure! But Usman’s got faith both fighters will deliver inside the distance. And he’s putting that same pressure on himself after three out of four recent fights went to decision.
“Same thing what I do always,” he explains about his strategy. “If I understand I can beat him with striking, I will beat him with striking.”
“If I understand I can finish this guy [taking him down], I will take him down and finish him there.” This time around? He wants it shorter: “I did 75 minutes in the cage in the last three fights… I’m tired.”