There could be an even better Nurmagomedov heading to your television screen soon.
That’s according to manager Ali Abdelaziz who was asked about which prospects he represented that are ones to look out for.
Welterweight Khamzat Chimaev has made a huge bang in recent weeks following his dominant performances and callout of Conor McGregor. But as far as Abdelaziz is concerned, he has a number of Khamzats on his roster.
The most impressive one? A featherweight in Usman Nurmagomedov — the cousin of UFC lightweight king Khabib.
“[With] Khamzat, everybody always says, ‘where has this guy been?’ I’ve got 10 Khamzats,” Abdelaziz told Asian MMA in a recent interview. “The guy to really look out for right now that nobody knows about is Usman Nurmagomedov — Khabib’s younger brother. He’s 9-0, all finishes. He’s an absolute killer. He’s a Muay Thai specialist and he’s Khabib’s brother, you understand? If you have the same blood as Khabib, you have good wrestling.
“I’m telling you, he is actually a better version than Khabib. He is better than Khabib. I’m telling you, people should watch for him. He’s an absolute killer. He’s got it all. He’s got the striking, he’s got the grappling, he’s got the jiu-jitsu, he’s got the look, he’s got the swagger. He’s knocking people out with elbows. … He’s the guy really to look out for. He’s a phenom. He’s a [combination] of Khabib, Jon Jones, [Israel] Adesanya. He’s a combo of all them.”
Where Could Usman Nurmagomedov Go?
That interview was before UAE Warriors 12 this past weekend where Usman lived up to his manager’s hype by destroying his opponent Jerry Kvarnstrom in just 40 seconds to move to 10-0.
With a performance like that, it’s only a matter of time until he moves to a major organization. And according to Abdelaziz, ONE Championship could be a potential home.
“I’m having serious conversations with ONE Championship too,” Abdelaziz added. “He me might be the next big thing coming from ONE Championship.”
You can watch the full interview below:
