Usman Nurmagomedov is now a coveted free agent. | 📷: PFL
MMA

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Usman
Nurmagomedov and Ilia
Topuria could be on a collision course, and the Russian's
manager has now weighed in on the matchup.

Nurmagomedov (22-0) is the most sought-after free agent in mixed
martial arts presently. The undefeated
Professional Fighters League lightweight exhausted his current
contract with the promotion by defending his title with a knockout
win over Archie
Colgan at
PFL New York.

Usman's manager has now addressed how he'd fare against the former
two-division
Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder.

‘Usman will stop Ilia': Nurmagomedov's manager predicts another
Topuria KO loss

Topuria (17-1) was the fastest-rising fighter in the sport until
his title loss to Justin
Gaethje at
UFC Freedom 250, the first defeat of his pro career. Despite
being no longer unbeaten, he remains one of the biggest stars in
the UFC.

Ali Abdelaziz manages both Gaethje and Nurmagomedov. With rumors of
Nurmagomedov looking to sign with the UFC now circulating,
Abdelaziz predicts that the Dagestani standout will stop Topuria by
the fourth round, as Gaethje did.

“I told everyone before that Justin Gaethje would beat Ilia
Topuria,†Abdelaziz wrote on X. “And I'm telling you today: Usman
Nurmagomedov will stop Ilia Topuria within four rounds.â€

It remains to be seen whether Nurmagomedov re-signs with the PFL
amid their merger with Jake Paul's

Most Valuable Promotions. Notably, Dana
White confirmed the UFC's interest in the 28-year-old following

UFC Belgrade.

I told everyone before that Justin
Gaethje would beat Ilia
Topuria. And I'm telling you today: Usman
Nurmagomedov will stop Ilia
Topuria within four rounds. @Usmannmgdv

— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00)
August 2, 2026

Jake
Paul explained why Khabib Nurmagomedov put the belt on Usman
Nurmagomedov. | 📷: PFL MMA

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Jake
Paul claims he never planned to put the
Professional Fighters League belt around Usman
Nurmagomedov.

Nurmagomedov defended his PFL lightweight title with a sensational
knockout of Archie
Colgan at UBS Arena in Long Island, New York. Amidst PFL's
recent merger with Paul's
Most Valuable Promotions, the YouTuber-turned-boxer was in
attendance for the event and an in-cage moment after the main event
subsequently went viral.

Khabib Nurmagomedov, Usman Nurmagomedov and Jake Paul's PFL
moment goes viral after title fight

While Paul initially had the belt in the cage, he handed it over to
Usman's cousin, Khabib
Nurmagomedov, to put it around the champ. Paul was trolled
online for the moment as it looked like Khabib forcibly took the
belt away from him. However, Paul claims that he had told Khabib to
wrap the belt around Usman. He says he doesn't want attention as a
promoter and wants fighters to steal the limelight instead.

“It’s crazy because I told Khabib before handing him the belt that
he should be the one to hand his cousin the belt and put it on
him,†Paul wrote on Instagram Stories. “I don’t even want to be a
promoter and be admired for this shit. It’s really for the
fighters. I have my life set. I literally do this shit for the
fighters. I told Khabib to take the belt and put it on his cousin
because that’s way cooler than me doing it and it gets turned into
some internet thing hating against me. Ask Khabib. Keep it coming:
y’all are sheep until you’re not. Your IQ depends on how you read
this message and either love or hate me.â€

Usman (22-0) exhausted his current PFL contract with his win over
Colgan, with rumors of a UFC move emerging. However, with the
MVP-PFL merger, the newly formed union will be eager to retain the
Russian's services.

Jake Paul
says he’s the one who told Khabib to put the belt on Usman
Nurmagomedov:

“I don’t even wanna be a promoter and be admired for this sh*t. I
have my life set. I literally do this sh*t for the fighters.

I told Khabib to take the belt and put it on his cousin because…
https://t.co/Zyz9MQ5f30
pic.twitter.com/MT6ec8ADLl

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS)
August 1, 2026

Coach Javier Mendez recently revealed that Islam
Makhachev guided Usman
Nurmagomedov to a knockout victory over Archie
Colgan.

Nurmagomedov (22-0) put his
Professional Fighters League lightweight title on the line
against a previously undefeated Colgan in Long Island, New York.
Nurmagomedov dropped Colgan with a perfect question-mark kick to
the head in the opening round. While Colgan got back up on wobbly
legs, the Russian finished him with a precisely timed uppercut to
close out
PFL New York.

The striking technique Islam Makhachev learned before his
Alexander Volkanovski KO reached Usman

Nurmagomedov has a star-studded team behind him, comprising his
cousin and Hall of Famer Khabib, brother and top-ranked UFC
bantamweight Umar, coach Mendez and UFC welterweight champion
Makhachev.

An elite
middleweight clash headlines PFL Charlotte: Tune on Friday, Aug. 7
at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Mendez has now revealed that Makhachev had advised Nurmagomedov to
fake teep kicks to the body before going to the head. Mendez also
claimed that Makhachev had originally learned the technique from
his striking coach, Magomed Bagandov, ahead of his brutal head-kick
knockout win over Alexander
Volkanovski in their 2023 rematch.

“It was actually Islam's advice that got the job done,†Mendez said
in an interview with Submission Radio. “He told [Usman], ‘Teep up
the middle, feint and feint, and then go with the head kick.' And
then that's exactly what happened… This was the same technique
shown to Islam by his coach Magomed and Islam showed it to
Usman.â€

Usman is now the hottest free agent in MMA after closing out his
last PFL contract in style, with rumors of a UFC move now
circulating. Meanwhile, his brother Umar is gearing up for a Fight
Night main event against Yadong Song
on Aug. 29 in Shanghai, China, and Makhachev is scheduled to defend
his welterweight title against Ian Garry
(17-1) at UFC
330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.