Usman Nurmagomedov News

Josh Evanoff - February 10, 2025

PFL lightweight star Usman Nurmagomedov is opening up on his close title fight with Paul Hughes. The two lightweights faced off in the main event of PFL Champions Series 1 last month in Dubai. In what will likely go down as the final Bellator title fight, Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes went to war. Despite the Russian entering the cage as a huge betting favorite, ‘Big News’ gave the champion all he could handle.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 26, 2025

Paul Hughes has spoken out following his loss against Usman Nurmagomedov. Hughes and Nurmagomedov put on a classic in the main event of PFL Champions: Road to Dubai. Nurmagomedov’s Bellator Lightweight Championship was on the line inside the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. Hughes showcased effective takedown defense and was highly competitive against the 155-pound champion, but it wasn’t enough, as he dropped a majority decision.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 26, 2025

Usman Nurmagomedov isn’t gung-ho over the idea of fighting Paul Hughes again anytime soon. Nurmagomedov and Hughes shared the cage this past Saturday in the main event of PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai. Nurmagomedov’s Bellator Lightweight Championship was at stake. Many wondered how Hughes would handle the champion’s grappling in this one. The Irishman put forth a brilliant effort, matching Nurmagomedov throughout the five rounds of highly competitive action.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 12, 2025

Usman Nurmagomedov doesn’t dislike Paul Hughes, but that won’t stop him from guaranteeing victory. Nurmagomedov is set to put his Bellator Bantamweight Championship at stake against Hughes on January 25th. The title fight will headline Bellator Champions Series: Road to Dubai. Nurmagomedov is not only looking to keep his 155-pound gold, but he’s also hoping to remain undefeated in his pro MMA career.

Josh Evanoff - January 3, 2025

PFL lightweight contender Paul Hughes has fired back at Khabib Nurmagomedov. ‘The Eagle’ made headlines earlier this week with his controversial comments about Irish MMA. While Khabib Nurmagomedov is retired as a fighter these days, he’s still an active coach for his cousin, Usman Nurmagomedov. The Bellator lightweight champion is slated to meet the rising Irish star Paul Hughes later this month in Dubai.

Josh Evanoff - November 20, 2024

Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov will meet Paul Hughes in Dubai. ‘Big News’ is fresh off his return to the PFL cage last month in Saudi Arabia. There, Paul Hughes met former Bellator featherweight champion A.J. McKee in a lightweight title eliminator. ‘Mercenary’ was considered the Irishman’s biggest test of his career, and he passed the test with flying colors.

Curtis Calhoun - October 23, 2024

PFL founder Donn Davis didn’t take long to respond to Bellator champ Usman Nurmagomedov’s timeline for a potential move to the UFC. Nurmagomedov, regarded by many as one of the top fighters outside of the UFC, defeated Alexandr Shabliy by unanimous decision in his last Bellator title defense. Usman is the cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, considered one of the greatest fighters of all time.

Harry Kettle - October 21, 2024

Bellator star Paul Hughes wants Conor McGregor in his corner for a possible title shot against Usman Nurmagomedov. Last weekend, Paul Hughes made an emphatic statement. In his battle with AJ McKee at PFL: Battle of the Giants, he was able to put in the performance of a lifetime. He dropped the favorite and hurt him on multiple occasions, eventually riding his way to a split decision win. Now, many believe the natural next step is for him to challenge Bellator champion Usman Nurmagomedov for the belt.

Harry Kettle - September 9, 2024

Khabib Nurmagomedov started choking Umar Nurmagomedov, seemingly out of anxiety, while watching Usman Nurmagomedov compete last week. Last week, Usman Nurmagomedov defeated Alexander Shabliy with a dominant unanimous decision triumph to successfully retain his Bellator lightweight championship. It was a really solid display and in his corner, he had Umar Nurmagomedov and the great Khabib Nurmagomedov there to guide him through the contest.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - September 8, 2024

Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov believes he is the future of MMA. Nurmagomedov put his 155-pound hardware at stake against Alexandr Shabliy in the main event of Bellator Champions Series 4 this past Saturday. The Dagestan bruiser earned a unanimous decision win to maintain his hold on the gold and improve his pro MMA record to 18-0, 1 NC.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - September 6, 2024

Usman Nurmagomedov has weighed in on the pound-for-pound debate. At the top of the official UFC pound-for-pound rankings currently is UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. UFC light heavyweight titleholder Alex Pereira has the number two spot, while Jon Jones sits at number three.

Harry Kettle - September 4, 2024

MMA legend Khabib Nurmagomedov believes his cousin Usman Nurmagomedov is the future of the sport. As we know, it’s been an interesting time for Usman Nurmagomedov as of late. While he may be a world champion in Bellator, he’s also had to deal with a suspected doping violation. Despite that, he is set to return to the cage this weekend when he defends his crown against Alexandr Shabliy.

Josh Evanoff - June 18, 2024

Bellator MMA’s schedule for September is heating up, as it now includes the return of Usman Nurmagomedov. Fans are now six months into PFL’s ownership of Bellator. Last fall, the Donn Davis-led promotion purchased the company from Viacom but had no plans to get rid of the company. Instead, each brand has run events separately in 2024, but have featured a lot of overlap. Names such as Cedric Doumbe have jumped back-and-forth, and that will likely only continue.

Cole Shelton - November 11, 2023

Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov has failed a drug test. Multiple sources informed BJPENN.com that Nurmagomedov tested positive for an unknown substance and his fight against Brent Primus has been overturned to a No Contest. As well, sources informed BJPENN.com that Primus will now go forward in the Bellator lightweight grand prix, while the belief is Usman Nurmagomedov will be stripped of the lightweight title. Nurmagomedov has also been handed a six month suspension.

Chris Taylor - October 7, 2023

Tonight’s Bellator 300 event was headlined by a lightweight title fight between Usman Nurmagomedov and Brent Primus. Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA) was looking to earn his second straight lightweight title defense when he took to the cage this evening in California. The undefeated Russian had earned a first-round submission victory over former UFC champion Benson Henderson in his most previous effort at Bellator 292.

Chris Taylor - October 7, 2023

We have you covered for all of tonight’s Bellator 300 results, including the lightweight title fight between Usman Nurmagomedov and Brent Primus. Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA) will be looking to earn his second straight lightweight title defense this evening in California. The undefeated Russian earned a first-round submission victory over former UFC champion Benson Henderson in his most previous effort at Bellator 292.

Cole Shelton - October 2, 2023

Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will be in the corner of his teammate Usman Nurmagomedov this weekend at Bellator 300. Velasquez has been out on bail for nearly a year after spending months in jail following charges that included attempted murder. Part of the bail was Velasquez would have to wear GPS tracking. He must also comply with a protective order 300 yards away from the victims in the case and have travel restrictions.

Cole Shelton - August 4, 2023

Bellator will be holding its 300 event and Usman Nurmagomedov will be defending his lightweight title on the card. Multiple sources informed BJPENN.com that Nurmagomedov will defend his title against Brent Primus, which also serves as the semifinals of the Bellator lightweight grand prix at Bellator 300. The event is set to go down on October 7 in San Diego, California. One source said this event could see multiple title fights on the card as it could be the final event in Bellator history. It’s also unclear if this fight will be the main event of the historic and potential final Bellator event.