Nurmagomedov is the most sought-after free agent in mixed martial
arts, with the
Ultimate Fighting Championship rumored to be keen on signing
the latest
Professional Fighters League lightweight titleholder. Yan, the
current UFC bantamweight champ, recently revealed that the unbeaten
Dagestani once bought a rare BMW from him.

Petr Yan says Usman Nurmagomedov bought his limited-edition BMW
X5

Yan used to own a BMW X5, which now belongs to Nurmagomedov. There
were only 250 of the limited-edition X5 in the whole world in the
color owned by Yan and only 12 in Russia.

“Khabib
Nurmagomedov's brother, Usman, bought that car from me later,â€
Yan said in an interview with Kickdown. “There were only 12 of
these cars in Russia, and only 250 in the world. There were 12 in
Russia in this specific color.â€

While Nurmagomedov and Yan are from different camps, they share a
lot of mutual respect, even though the former's brother, Umar,
competes in the division ruled by Yan. “No Mercy†will look to
defend his title against Merab Davlishvili at
UFC 333 in October in Abu Dhabi.

Meanwhile, the PFL has a 90-day exclusive negotiation window since
Nurmagomedov's last bout and he's revealed that he's already turned
down an offer for $2 million per fight. A recent Instagram post hints at a UFC move looming.

Despite over half a decade out of competition, Zabit
Magomedsharipov is still as skilled as they come.

Magomedsharipov (18-1) returned to competition after seven years,
facing
Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight Youssef
Zalal in a grappling match at ACBJJ 22 at Ora Arena in
Istanbul, Turkey.

Zabit Magomedsharipov earns decision over Youssef Zalal at
ACBJJ 22

The Russian defeated Zalal via unanimous decision in a competitive
match. Zalal was clearly disappointed with the judges' verdict,
having finished strong against Magomedsharipov, who also had his
moments.

While Magomedsharipov was originally booked to grapple Raul Rosas
Jr. at ACBJJ 21 last month, he pulled out due to an injury.

Magomedsharipov remains one of the biggest what-ifs in mixed
martial arts history. He was a highly touted UFC featherweight,
known for his flashy striking and well-rounded game. However, he
never competed after a win over Calvin
Kattar in 2019. After a series of matchups falling through,
Magomedsharipov formally retired from MMA in 2022.

He addressed his retirement prior to his grappling match against
Zalal, claiming that he's content with his decision.

“I have no regrets about leaving the sport and not winning
anything,†Magomedsharipov told Red Corner MMA. “Of course, I
wanted to become UFC champion, but it fell through. They didn't let
me. They were stalling for time. They didn't let me fight.â€

Zuffa LLC

Henry Cejudo believes Umar Nurmagomedov would've beaten Song Yadong on most nights, but UFC Shanghai got away from him.

Nurmagomedov was hoping to make a case for the winner of Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili 3, but the tables turned in a significant way this past Saturday. Nurmagomedov was knocked out for the first time in his pro MMA career. It was a statement-making victory for Yadong, who will return to the top five rankings at bantamweight.

Responding to the setback on the “Pound 4 Pound†podcast, Cejudo shared his belief that Nurmagomedov would've had his way with Yadong on any other night.

“He just got caught, bro,†Cejudo said. “This is just a game of being caught. Sometimes you get caught. I think nine out of 10 times Umar gets it done in whatever he wants to in my opinion. This is just one of those times, this is one of those fights where legit you get caught on the spot and that's it.â€

Cejudo also thinks that Nurmagomedov might have run into some weight cutting issues, which may have made it easier for Yadong to put his opponent to sleep.

“My question is for Umar, I wonder if he's cutting too much weight because that right uppercut did land, but sometimes when you don't have that much water in your brain, bro, things can kind of go off.â€

Regardless, Yadong now moves back up the ladder while Nurmagomedov faces his steepest slide up to this point. How Nurmagomedov will bounce back after being stopped for the first time will be a story to watch. For now, he will have to regroup and figure out how he can eventually achieve his goal of becoming a UFC champion.

Do you think Henry Cejudo is making an excuse for Song Yadong, or do you think he brings up a valid point? Chime in with your opinion in the comments below.

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