Khabib Nurmagomedov drops bold claim as Usman Nurmagomedov emerges as real threat to Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan

Khabib Nurmagomedov does not speak lightly. When he talks about fighters, the MMA world listens. This time, the former UFC champion has turned attention toward a new Dagestani name. Khabib believes this fighter is already at the level of the very best.

The UFC lightweight division is stacked. Fighters like Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan sit near the top of a roster that includes more than 500 fighters. They are fast, skilled, and proven inside the Octagon.

But now, Khabib says an undefeated fighter from Dagestan has reached that same level. According to him, the gap has closed. The statement is bold, but it comes from someone who helped build the Dagestani legacy in MMA.

Khabib Nurmagomedov on Usman Nurmagomedov’s growth and readiness for Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan

The fighter Khabib is talking about is his cousin, Usman Nurmagomedov. Usman is unbeaten and currently competing outside the UFC. He holds the PFL lightweight title and is in the strongest phase of his career.
Speaking to MMA Team Gorilla Fighting, Khabib explained his view carefully.
“I have my own opinion about this, but I think it would be inappropriate, as a UFC fighter, to speak about his strengths. If you look at it statistically, I think that over the past year, considering what happened with Usman, how much he has grown and gotten stronger… I work with him one-on-one,” Khabib said.

Usman won the PFL lightweight title in October after defeating Paul Hughes in their rematch. Before that loss, Hughes was the Bellator lightweight champion and had defended his belt three times. The win added weight to Khabib’s words.

Khabib continued, “From their side, I believe Usman has grown a lot. At least at this level. I think Usman is already at this level. A year ago, I would have said we needed to wait, but right now, I believe he is at this level. Time will tell.”

Still, history shows that success outside the UFC does not always carry over. Fighters like Patchy Mix and Kai Asakura entered the UFC with big reputations but struggled against elite competition. The UFC remains the hardest test in MMA.

Dagestan has produced champions before. Khabib passed the torch to Islam Makhachev. Umar Nurmagomedov has also risen. Now, Usman may be next. Whether he reaches the UFC or not, Khabib’s words have already changed the conversation.

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