Outside Source
Usman Nurmagomedov is currently the most sought-after free agent in mixed martial arts.
His manager, Ali Abdelaziz, recently discussed Nurmagomedov’s contract situation, claiming that the Professional Fighters League did not offer the unbeaten lightweight champion a new contract before the final bout of his deal.
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Usman Nurmagomedov’s PFL departure creates intrigue around UFC, Dana White and Khabib Nurmagomedov involvement
Nurmagomedov (22-0) completed the final fight of his PFL contract at the promotion’s July 31 event, where he scored a first-round knockout victory over Archie Colgan. Abdelaziz has now revealed that the promotion had the opportunity to re-sign him ahead of PFL New York.
“Listen, the truth of the matter is PFL had an opportunity to sign him before the fight,” Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie. “And you know how much I love PFL… They’re great people. PFL always gives an opportunity for people and they don’t get enough credit.”
According to Abdelaziz, Nurmagomedov chose to complete his contract rather than negotiate a new deal before the fight.
“Usman took a risk,” the veteran manager said. “He could have went out there and lost. Archie could have beaten him. He took a risk. He gambled on himself and he won.”
Abdelaziz then confirmed that PFL has a 90-day exclusive negotiating window after Nurmagomedov’s last bout, following which they’ll assess their options.
“In the next 90 days, they have an exclusive negotiation,” Abdelaziz added. “After that, I’m going to talk to other people and we’ll figure it out.”
Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White previously hinted that the UFC is interested in Nurmagomedov. However, Abdelaziz downplayed the chances of a UFC move, claiming that negotiations and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s approval are pending.
“It’s not like 100% he’s leaving and going to the UFC. It doesn’t work like that,” Abdelaziz concluded. “It has to be a lot of decisions. I have to negotiate, he has to like it, Khabib has to sign off on it and this is how we work.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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