Khabib
Nurmagomedov credits the
Professional Fighters League for building his cousin Usman
Nurmagomedov into the star that he is today.

Usman is considered one of the most sought-after fighters currently
competing outside the
Ultimate Fighting Championship. Khabib recently heaped praise
on the PFL for building Usman from the ground up. He believes Usman
wouldn't have made it to the UFC roster when he initially signed
with Bellator
MMA, which was later acquired by the PFL.

Khabib Nurmagomedov credits PFL for Usman Nurmagomedov's
rise

Khabib is grateful to the PFL for providing Usman with a platform
where he could gradually grow into a star. While the former UFC
lightweight champion admits that being his cousin helped Usman's
popularity, he notes that the PFL lightweight champion is an elite
fighter in his own right.

“Without the PFL, who would have known Usman? At 21, he wouldn't
have made it to the UFC,†the UFC Hall of Famer said on the “Smol
Talk” podcast. “They gave him a base, the roots, the opportunity to
grow. The PFL made him a star. Of course, being my [cousin] helped,
but first and foremost, Usman himself is an elite world-class
fighter. He spent the best years and had the best fights of his
early career under that banner, and the PFL helped make him what he
is today. Among the Top 10 fighters outside the UFC, Usman is No. 1
– the ‘most wanted' free agent, as people say. The PFL platform
gave him that position, and I'm deeply grateful to them.â€

Usman’s current PFL contract expires when he puts his lightweight
title on the line against Archie
Colgan on July 31 at UBS Arena in Long Island, New York. While
a UFC move is rumored, nothing is cemented yet. Khabib refused to
comment on Usman's immediate future, out of respect for the
PFL.

A middleweight
title fight headlines PFL Austin: Tune on Saturday, July 18 at 8
p.m. ET on ESPN.

“What happens next with Usman? Honestly, I can't discuss it now,
and out of respect for the PFL, I don't want to,†he added.

Usman joined Bellator with a record of 11-0 back in 2021 and has
since extended his record to 21-0 (1 NC). Notably, his brother,
Umar
Nurmagomedov, is already in the UFC and is among the top-ranked
bantamweights.

Khabib
Nurmagomedov claims some
Ultimate Fighting Championship contracts last a lifetime.

Nurmagomedov has repeatedly dismissed the idea of returning to any
combat sports competition since retiring from the UFC in 2020.
However, he recently revealed that he is still under some form of
contract with the UFC. While Nurmagomedov reiterates his desire to
stay retired, “The Eagle†claims he won't be able to fight anywhere
except the UFC even if he were to return.

Khabib Nurmagomedov says his UFC contract remains exclusive
after retirement

The UFC Hall of Famer notes that every up-and-coming fighter dreams
of fighting in the UFC, widely considered the premier MMA promotion
in the world. According to him, the UFC uses that leverage to sign
exclusive contracts with aspiring fighters that essentially
restrict them from testing the market.

“I'm not planning to return, but even if I suddenly wanted to, I
could never fight anywhere except the UFC – not even 20 years from
now,†Nurmagomedov said on the “Smol Talk” podcast. “So, your
exclusive arrangement with them effectively lasts for life… I still
have a contract with the UFC. Every fighter dreams of competing in
the UFC, and the UFC uses that. They say, ‘Alright, that's your
dream, come in. But the deal is exclusive.'â€

Nurmagomedov (29-0) retired from the UFC as the undefeated
lightweight champion in 2020. Despite Dana
White initially trying his best to lure the Russian out of
retirement, he has stood firm in his stance.

Jan
Blachowicz believes Jamahal
Hill is forced to move up a weight class in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship due to an undisciplined
diet.

Hill recently announced that he is moving up from light heavyweight
to heavyweight. “Sweet Dreams†certainly looks bulky, even by
heavyweight standards, in his recent videos. Blachowicz is not
impressed with how “fat†Hill is right now.

Why Jan Blachowicz believes Jamahal Hill’s move to heavyweight
is diet-related

Hill is currently out of action until late 2026 after undergoing
knee surgery. However, Blachowicz refuses to blame the surgery for
the American’s massive increase in size. The Polish 205-pounder
claims he has battled numerous injuries and surgeries without
bulking up like Hill. Blachowicz believes his fellow former
champion has gained weight due to an undisciplined diet.

“Did you see how fat he is right now? So, I'm not impressed,â€
Blachowicz told Home of Fight. “I've had a lot of injuries and
surgeries, and I've never looked so bad like him, so he just eats a
lot of sh*t, I think.â€

Hill (12-4) won the light heavyweight title against Glover
Teixeira in 2023. However, he was forced to vacate his belt
soon after, injuring his achilles tendon in a game of pickup
basketball. Hill has since suffered three losses in a row.

Meanwhile, Blachowicz (29-11) has two draws and two losses since
2022. The former light heavyweight champion was scheduled to fight
Bogdan
Guskov in a rematch at
UFC Belgrade on Aug. 1. However, Blachowicz has been left
without an opponent after Guskov accepted a short-notice
replacement fight against Magomed
Ankalaev at
UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25.

😭😳 Jan
Blachowicz calls Jamahal
Hill ‘fat' and says he ‘eats a lot of shit'

“Did you see how fat he is right now? So I'm not impressed

I've had a lot of injuries and surgeries and I've never looked so
bad like him, so he just eat a lot of shit I think.â€

(via @Home_of_Fight…
pic.twitter.com/F54u1rdlpy

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight)
July 14, 2026