It is safe to say that Usman Nurmagomedov is one of the hottest free agents on the MMA market right now. The Dagestani recently dominated Archie Colgan to defend his PFL lightweight title, and that has only fueled the talk of him finally making the jump to the UFC.
With Dana White seemingly hinting at a potential signing, fans are already wondering who Nurmagomedov could face if he steps inside the Octagon. It seems Islam Makhachev already has a few names in mind.
For the unversed, the reigning UFC welterweight champion has known Nurmagomedov since childhood, with the two also training alongside each other for years. Makhachev clearly believes the 28-year-old has what it takes to compete with the best in the UFC. And now that Makhachev is no longer ruling the 155lbs division, the timing could be perfect for Nurmagomedov to make his move.
During his UFC 330 media day press conference, Makhachev was asked about Nurmagomedov potentially signing with the UFC and appeared to hint that something could already be in the works.
He said, “Usman is training with us when he was a very young guy. He’s training with Khabib [Nurmagomedov], myself, all of our teammates his whole life. I know 100% he’s ready to fight for the title tomorrow or the contender match tomorrow.”
👀 Islam Makhachev wants Usman Nurmagomedov to make his UFC debut against Justin Gaethje for the belt—or Arman Tsarukyan for the No. 1 contender spot.
“Right now is the time for Usman in the UFC and we have some people in mind.
We want Justin for the belt, but if he has to do… pic.twitter.com/LGvVZYNWJ7
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) August 12, 2026
Makhachev pointed to Nurmagomedov’s well-rounded skill set as one of the biggest reasons he could immediately make an impact in the UFC. He added, “Because he’s a good wrestler, a very good striker, he has good grappling. I think my opinion, Usman did his job great in PFL, and he’s ready to show a good performance in the UFC.”
Makhachev also named a couple of elite 155lbs fighters who could potentially test Nurmagomedov if he makes the jump. He added, “Maybe Arman [Tsarukyan] or Max [Holloway]. I don’t know. I agree with you, he has to fight one time because this is one of the big divisions in the UFC and coming from [outside the promotion] and fight for the title, I think it’s possible.”
However, Makhachev believes Nurmagomedov should first get a feel for the UFC before immediately jumping into a title fight. He added, “But I think he has to come feel this atmosphere, all the media, and fight for the title next. Just one fight and then one for the title.”
Usman Nurmagomedov spotted with Hunter Campbell at the UFC 330 press conference 👀
(via @RedCorner_MMA)
pic.twitter.com/fUalAcHHE5— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 14, 2026
Nurmagomedov currently boasts a perfect 22-0 record with one no contest and, at just 28 years old, is arguably entering the prime of his career. The buzz around his UFC move also grew after he was spotted with Hunter Campbell during the UFC 330 faceoffs between Makhachev and Ian Garry.
For now, nothing appears to be official. But if Nurmagomedov does finally make his way to the UFC, it looks like Makhachev already has a pretty good idea of how quickly his longtime teammate could rise through the lightweight ranks.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
