Will Dana White Sign MMA’s Hottest New Free Agent?

Following Usman Nurmagomedov (22-0) competing in his final PFL fight over the weekend with a dominant stoppage win in the first round, now that he’s a free agent the natural question is, will the UFC sign Usman?

Undefeated and trained by his cousin, UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0), Usman is the most sought-after free agent in MMA. At the UFC Belgrade post-fight press conference, Dana White was asked about his interest in Usman and he responded with a smile while saying a simple: “Sure”. The UFC boss later responded with another smiling-face emoji after his reaction circulated on social media.

Khabib says negotiations will be held next month. In a statement on Instagram, Khabib praised Nurmagomedov and compared him to team-mate and UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, before revealing negotiations around his next move will take place “over the next month”.

“Usman has shown and proven over the last couple of years that he is the best lightweight outside the UFC. Not with words, but with his performances,” said Khabib.
“When I said in 2020 that Islam was the best at that time, there were many people who disagreed. Believe me guys, there are levels to this game.
“You will see for yourselves what happens next. There will be negotiations over the next month, and very soon you will find out for yourselves which league he will continue competing in.”