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Twenty-two fights, twenty-two wins, and now one question: where will he hang up his gloves next? Usman Nurmagomedov closed out his contract with the PFL in the most brutal way possible, dispatching Archie Colgan by TKO in the first round. Free as a bird, Khabib's cousin is the center of all attention. And the UFC could well be his next stop. At 28, the Russian has never been closer to walking through the door that his illustrious elder slammed shut in 2020, also undefeated, after submitting Justin Gaethje.
A KO to say goodbye
On July 31, at the UBS Arena in New York, Nurmagomedov didn't mince words.
On July 31, at the UBS Arena in New York, Nurmagomedov didn't mince words. Facing Archie Colgan, undefeated in thirteen outings before this fight, the PFL lightweight champion wrapped things up in 3 minutes 42 seconds. A body kick folded Colgan in half, a flurry of punches followed, and the referee stepped in. TKO. Ninth KO finish for the Dagestani, who remains on twenty-two wins without a single blemish since his professional debut in 2017.
Colgan, a solid fighter but exposed to a level he had never encountered, never saw the end coming. Nurmagomedov, for his part, knew this dance would be his last under the PFL banner. His contract was set to expire with this main event. He honored it without flinching, leaving the New York cage with a final KO and newfound freedom. The PFL lost its champion the very night it crowned him one last time.
Khabib sets the framework
The day after the victory, Khabib Nurmagomedov, retired from the cage but omnipresent in his cousin's corner, laid the groundwork in an interview with MMA Junkie: "Negotiations will start. Within a month, Usman will know where he will fight." The former UFC lightweight champion, who has overseen his cousin's training since Abdulmanap's retirement, has always considered the PFL a step, never a destination.
The PFL would like to keep its champion, but CEO John Martin had already opened the door to a departure in June, stating he would not block a transfer to the UFC if the opportunity arose. And the opportunity has never seemed more concrete. Dana White has never hidden his admiration for the Nurmagomedov lineage. With Islam Makhachev ruling the UFC lightweight division and Umar climbing the bantamweight ranks, Usman's arrival would complete an already impressive hunting board. A signing could happen before the September return, if the two parties quickly find common financial ground.
Topuria in the crosshairs
Manager Ali Abdelaziz, who also handles Justin Gaethje, threw a bombshell on August 2: "Usman would stop Ilia Topuria in four rounds." The former UFC lightweight champion, defeated by Gaethje in June, remains one of the most bankable figures in the division. A clash between the Dagestani's suffocating grappling and the Georgian's explosive boxing already has MMA fans salivating.
This statement is anything but trivial. Abdelaziz knows the UFC corridors better than anyone and never throws out a name randomly. Bringing up Topuria now is about preparing the media ground for a signing, giving fans a taste of what's to come, and reminding the UFC that Usman Nurmagomedov is not an ordinary prospect. He's an undefeated 22-fight champion arriving with a name, a team, and a record.
A dynasty that extends
Usman Nurmagomedov doesn't just fight for himself. He carries the heaviest name in world MMA, that dynasty forged by Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov in the dusty gyms of Dagestan and carried to the pinnacle by Khabib. At 28, he is at the peak of his physical and technical abilities. His grappling, inherited from his father's school, is suffocating; his striking, honed at American Kickboxing Academy, improves with each outing. He has submitted eleven of his twenty-two opponents and knocked out nine.
One big unknown remains: the coexistence with Islam Makhachev. The two men fight in the lightweight division, share the same gym and the same inner circle. But in a division where credible contenders can be counted on one hand, a second Nurmagomedov in the UFC top 5 could force discussions that no one has yet wanted to have. The countdown has begun.