Tag: Usman Nurmagomedov

Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes for Bellator title set for Jan. 25 in Dubai

Unbeaten Usman Nurmagomedov will clash with Irish standout Paul Hughes for the Bellator lightweight belt on Jan. 25 in Dubai.

PFL will debut in the United Arab Emirates with a big lightweight headliner.

Bellator lightweight champion [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (18-0) meets [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag] (13-1) in the Road to Dubai: Champions Series main event Jan. 25 at Coca-Cola Arena, promotion officials announced Wednesday morning.

The matchup is being labeled Dagestan vs. Ireland 2 – a reference to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s historic rivalry with Conor McGregor. After coming up big as an underdog against A.J. McKee this past October at PFL: Battle of the Giants, Hughes invited McGregor to corner him for a potential fight with Nurmagomedov. Hughes has won his past seven in a row.

Nurmagomedov, 26, retained his lightweight title in a unanimous decision win against Alexander Shabliy in September. Prior to that, Nurmagomedov’s title-win over Brent Primus at Bellator 300 was overturned to a no contest by the California State Athletic Commission due to a failed drug test in October.

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Javier Mendez: Usman Nurmagomedov ‘the most talented I’ve ever trained’

Javier Mendez had high praise for Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov.

[autotag]Javier Mendez[/autotag] had high praise for Bellator lightweight champion [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag].

Like former undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, current UFC lightweight champ Islam Makhachev, and No. 1 UFC bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov, Usman is trained by American Kickboxing Academy head coach Javier Mendez.

Although Mendez has trained some of the most accomplished fighters including former UFC dual-champion Daniel Cormier, former UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez, and former UFC middleweight champ Luke Rockhold, he made a bold claim about Usman Nurmagomedov (18-0).

“I see Usman as being the pound-for-pound greatest fighter myself – he’s got all the attributes,” Mendez told Red Corner MMA. “He’s the most talented I’ve ever trained. In regards to whether he ever goes to the UFC or not, I don’t know if it’s going to matter as long as he keeps showing people how great he is. So to me, if at one point he never goes, great – he’s still going to be regarded as one of the great ones. He will. You watch.

“He will be regarded as one of the great ones because what he does in that cage is like nobody. I’ve never seen anybody do the transitions, the movement that he does – he’s unbelievable. He’s only 26. He’s only getting better. So let’s see what happens, but you never know. He may be a PFL fighter/Bellator fighter for the rest of his career. For me, I’m happy about that because he’ll be successful with it. Wherever he goes, it’s going to be success.”

Nurmagomedov, who’s coming off a unanimous decision win over Alexander Shabliy in September, doesn’t currently have a fight booked. But with Paul Hughes picking up a big win over A.J. McKee October at PFL: Battle of the Giants, that will likely be his next title defense.

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A.J. McKee: Win over ‘arrogant’ Paul Hughes gets me title shot vs. Usman Nurmagomedov

A.J. McKee is confident a win at PFL: Battle of the Giants gets him a crack at Bellator champion Usman Nurmagomedov.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] believes there’s a lot riding on his next fight.

The former Bellator featherweight champion is confident a win over [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag] at Saturday’s PFL: Battle of the Giants will get him a crack at the belt at 155 pounds, a title currently held by [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag].

“I think it’s an exciting matchup,” McKee told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “The fight everyone has wanted for the longest is Usman (Nurmagomedov) and I, so I think this is the fight to get to that fight. So yeah, with that being said, I just have to go handle business Saturday and onto bigger and better things.”

McKee (22-1) has been displeased by some of the things Hughes (12-1) has said ahead of their lightweight bout. Although there’s been trash talk on his end in past fights, McKee believes his approach is vastly different than Hughes.

“We’re completely two different human beings,” McKee said. “In my process and my journey I always had respect for Patricio where I don’t feel it’s a respect thing. I think he’s a little headstrong and arrogant, but that’s my personal opinion. But yeah, when we get locked in that cage on Saturday, it’s just him and I. All the smack talk and the jokes go out the window.”

Although setting his sight on Nurmagomedov, McKee understands Hughes is not an easy challenge and he’ll require his full attention this Saturday.

“I can’t look past Paul Hughes, but at the same time I know where I see myself and what it takes to be there.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.

Paul Hughes would want ‘severe drug testing’ for Usman Nurmagomedov title fight

Paul Hughes took a shot at Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – [autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag] took a shot at Bellator lightweight champion [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag].

Hughes (12-1) faces A.J. McKee (22-1) in a pivotal lightweight clash on Saturday’s PFL: Battle of the Giants main card (DAZN, ESPN+) at The Mayadeen. Part of the appeal to sign with PFL for Hughes was the $1 million tournament, but challenging Nurmagomedov would entice him more than entering the lightweight season at the moment.

“The title is more appealing to me,” Hughes told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “It’s a bigger fight. It’s a huge fight. It could be an absolutely massive fight for Bellator-PFL if they promote it right, which I’m sure they would. It’s Ireland vs. Dagestan, No. 2. It’s a Nurmagomedov vs. myself. That sells itself in my opinion. So, we’ll see. Whenever I get A.J. out of there on Saturday, I think it puts me in a spot of good leverage.”

If the stars align and they do end up fighting, Hughes hopes Nurmagomedov is frequently drug tested. He’s referring to Nurmagomedov’s failed drug test in October in which his title-defense win over Brent Primus at Bellator 300 was overturned to a no contest by the California State Athletic Commission.

After providing “evidence that the prohibited substance was prescribed to him by a physician and maintains that the prohibited substance was prescribed for therapeutic use,” Nurmagomedov wasn’t stripped of his title but was handed a six-month suspension and a $50,000 fine. He then defend his title in September by defeating Alexandr Shabliy.

“I haven’t looked too much into it,” Hughes said on Nurmagomedov’s failed drug test. “I would like to know what he actually popped for. I think it was some sort of medication is what they say. I’m not too sure, but I’d be making sure if I’m fighting him there would be severe drug testing for sure.”

Despite his comments, Hughes sees Nurmagomedov as an elite lightweight across all promotions.

“He’s certainly up there,” Hughes said. “His last performance, albeit he was fighting a very good fighter in Shabliy, who I do rate, it wasn’t the best performance of all time. It wasn’t that exciting, so I guess that would decrease how I see him. He probably is top 10 to be completely honest.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.

A.J. McKee: Usman Nurmagomedov ‘the fight everybody’s wanted to see for quite some time now’

A.J. McKee is closing in on his desired shot at Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov.

[autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] is closing in on his desired shot at Bellator lightweight champion [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag].

But first, McKee (22-1) has to get past Paul Hughes (12-1) at PFL: Battle of the Giants on Oct. 19 at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN+).

McKee thinks him vs. Nurmagomedov (18-0) is the fight to make.

“I think it’s been the fight that everybody’s wanted to see for quite some time now,” McKee told MMA Junkie Radio. “Obviously, myself catching staph through the tournament, something happened with him during the tournament  testing wise or whatever, so he went on a little suspension. But we just continue to fight, perfect our craft.

“I can’t really look past Paul Hughes, because styles make fights and every fight is a different fight. So for me, it’s staying focused on Paul Hughes. But after that Usman fight (vs. Alexandr Shabliy), Khabib (Nurmagomedov) did walk by and he goes, ‘See you in Dubai, brother,’ and I started laughing. It was just funny, because he knows I’m watching, why I’m there.”

Prior to retaining his title against Alexandr Shabliy in September, Nurmagomedov said he sees McKee as the top contender. McKee isn’t sure why he was booked against Hughes instead of being the next title challenger, but says a fight with Nurmagomedov is inevitable.

“I have no idea – he might need a little break,” McKee said. “I think that’s the next fight regardless, though. Khabib kind of said it to me, I’ve been veering for it for a minute, and I think everybody knows that’s the fight to make.

“I think that’s the fight they’re going to make. It’s the fight that kind of makes sense to make. But obviously, I’ve got to go do my job. It’s one more man in front of me. When you look at the stats, we all know who deserves that title shot, but I’ve just got one more step to prove.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.

Paul Hughes wants title shot vs. Usman Nurmagomedov with win over A.J. McKee at PFL PPV

Paul Hughes plans to take A.J. McKee’s spot in the queue for Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov.

[autotag]Paul Hughes[/autotag] plans to take A.J. McKee’s spot in the queue for Bellator lightweight champion [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag].

Hughes (12-1) will face McKee (22-1) in a key 155-pound bout at PFL: Battle of the Giant on Oct. 19 at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN+).

Champ Nurmagomedov said after his recent title defense over Alexander Shabliy at Bellator Champions Series: San Diego earlier this month that he thinks McKee is the frontrunner for the next shot at his belt. However, Hughes plans to play spoiler to that situation.

“Right now what is most exciting to me is definitely fighting Usman,” Hughes told MMA Junkie Radio. “That’s Russia vs. Ireland 2. That’s an Irishman vs. a Nurmagomedov. Obviously there’s going to be storyline there as well with A.J. supposed to be the next guy up, but whenever I beat him, it’s got to be next.

“Usman is a guy I’ve called out a couple times on social media. I was going to call him out after my debut with Bellator but he had just been booked that week. He’s definitely someone that I’ve kept my eye on, and whenever I beat A.J., then we’ll see what happens.”

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Hughes, 27, is one of the brightest fighters coming out of Ireland and has impressed to this point of his career. The matchup with former Bellator champ McKee represents a significant step up in competition, though, and will be Hughes’ sternest test to date.

He’s ready to rise to the challenge, and thinks McKee will be shocked at what’s coming.

“I’m absolutely world class in every area,” Hughes said. “If he wants to wrestle, if he wants to shoot, then bring it. Bring it. Whenever I’m sprawling, cracking him, shooting on him back and taking him down, we’ll see how he reacts to that. This is the young, hungry lion coming up against the guy who has been there and done that. So it’s exciting to see what’s going to happen to be honest.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Sept. 10: Usman Nurmagomedov climbs at lightweight

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following UFC Fight Night 242 and Bellator Champions Series: San Diego.

Following Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 242 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and Bellator Champions Series: San Diego at Pechanga Arena, the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings required updating.

Headlining UFC Fight Night 242 was a welterweight showdown between [autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag] and former title challenger Gilbert Burns. Over five rounds, Brady dominated Burns in all aspects of the game to pick up one of the biggest wins of his career.

Entering the week at No. 9, Brady takes Burns’ former spot at No. 7.

At Bellator Champions Series: San Diego, [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] defended his lightweight title against Alexander Shabliy. Coming into the week at No. 7 in the 155-pound rankings, the victory moves Nurmagomedov up to the No. 6 spot, bumping Beneil Dariush down.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.

Video: Where does Bellator’s Usman Nurmagomedov rank among the best lightweights?

How good is Usman Nurmagomedov, and where does he rank among the best at 155? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

[autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] is good, but how good is he?

The lightweight champion kept his undefeated record and belt Saturday when he successfully defended the title against Alexandr Shabliy in the main event of Bellator Champions Series: San Diego. Nurmagomedov (18-0) had a dominant showing, defeating Shabliy (24-4) 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46 on the scorecards.

This result leaves the question: Where does Bellator’s Usman Nurmagomedov rank among the best lightweights in MMA?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King, Danny Segura and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia discuss Nurmagomedov’s latest title defense, his standing in the sport, along with other results like [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag]’s vicious KO win over Levan Chokheli.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

https://youtube.com/live/suYDv4qZZAk

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Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Sean Brady’s big win, Demetrious Johnson retires, UFC 306 preview, more

On the latest episode of Spinning Back Clique, we discuss Sean Brady’s win over Gilbert Burns, Demetrious Johnson’s retirement, UFC 306, and more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • A couple of fresh faces stepped into title contention, while a couple of veterans were set back. Saturday at UFC Fight Night 242, [autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag] picked up a big win, dominating [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] to win a unanimous decision in the main event. [autotag]Natalia Silva[/autotag] also earned a win on the scorecards against former champion [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag]. We discuss those two key wins, along with other highlights from the card.
  • UFC wasn’t the only brand in action. Bellator Champions Series: San Diego  saw [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] defend his lightweight title in the main event. Former UFC contender [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag] picked up a big KO win over Levan Chokheli, cementing himself as a No. 1 contender. What’s next for Nurmagomedov? Can Larkin become champion at 38? We discuss.
  • A legend of the game decided to hang up the gloves. Former UFC and ONE flyweight champion [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] announced his retirement. Where does Johnson rank among the all-time greats? What legacy does he leave behind? We look back at the career of “Mighty Mouse” and his impact on MMA.
  • For our final segment, we look ahead to UFC 306 at Sphere in Las Vegas. The card, which celebrates Mexican Independence Day weekend, features two title fights: [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Merab Dvlashvili[/autotag] in the main event, and [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] 3 in the co-main. We analyze the pair of championship fights, along with other featured bouts on the card.

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Usman Nurmagomedov vows to live up to Khabib’s GOAT claims after Bellator San Diego: ‘I am the future’

Usman Nurmagomedov boldly he’s “the future” of MMA after moving to 18-0 with his lightweight title defense at Bellator San Diego.

[autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] accomplished his goal of proving he’s a more complete fighting than Alexander Shabliy in the Bellator Champions Series: San Diego main event – even if he didn’t get the stoppage.

Nurmagomedov (18-0) added to his unblemished record Saturday with a unanimous decision win over Shabliy (24-4) at Pechanga Arena to defend his Bellator lightweight strap. It was a highly tactical affair, albeit slow at times outside of a fourth-round burst where the champion had his challenge on the ropes from a head kick.

Nevertheless, it was a clear victory for Nurmagomedov, who said he was pleased to silence Shabliy’s criticism of his path toward the belt by beating him with the gold on the line.

“My game plan was to fight him,” Nurmagomedov told reporters at the post-fight press conference. “I know everything. I can strike, I can kick, wrestling, grappling – I am MMA fighter. That’s why I’m here. It was my plan to show to the world who I am, show to the world my heart. I think I did this.

“When Alexander Shabliy said, ‘Usman don’t fight with nobody, but he go to the title shot very soon’: I am only 26, but when Alexander Shabliy was 26, nobody knows where he’s fighting even. Now in his prime and in my condition best for right now, I won the fight now. This is going to make more proof for myself.”

Nurmagomedov, 26, said he couldn’t have conquered Shabliy without the support of his team. His cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov was in his corner for the first time since becoming champion, and his pre-fight request of having “The Eagle” wrap the belt around his waist became reality in the aftermath of the performance.

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Nurmagomedov’s team also consists of American Kickboxing Coach Javier Mendez, his cousin Usman, UFC lightweight champ Islam Makhachev and many others. Without them, Nurmagomedov said he wouldn’t have been able to thrive in the way he did.

“I love these guys so much,” Nurmagomedov said. “They help my growth, not as just an MMA fighter – as a human, I grow more than as an MMA fighter or something. I just want to say thank you for all of these guys.”

Khabib said in the post-fight interview that his cousin is an extreme talent, and if he meets his potential to go down as the great of all time in MMA.

“I will prove (him right),” Nurmagomedov said. “This is the future. I am the future.”

The victory marked a significant moment for Nurmagomedov, who was away from competition for 11 months after a failed drug test and suspension. Nurmagomedov has been steadfast in his denial of taking any performance-enhancing substances, and can now put that chapter in his past.

After losing nearly a year of his career dealing with the situation, though, Nurmagomedov is keen to make up for lost time and keep building his profile in the sport.

“I want to fight in Dubai because in Dubai I think they have an event in January,” Nurmagomedov said. “I don’t know exactly. For me this is very good date. I want to stay active. I want to fight every three or four months because I am only 26. I want to fight. I am hungry.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event page for Bellator Champions Series: San Diego.