While Nurmagomedov was heavily favored to walk away victorious, Davis made all sorts of promises about how he would deal with Nurmagomedov’s grappling-heavy style as he sought to pull off the upset. None of that happened as Nurmagomedov dominated from start to finish with the fight ending after he snatched a nasty arm triangle/rear-naked choke combination that put Davis to sleep.
Already considered one of the best lightweights in the world regardless of promotion, Nurmagomedov isn’t lacking confidence when it comes to his ability to face and defeat anybody standing in front of him — and that includes UFC champion, Ilia Topuria, and No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan.
“Firstly, the preparation for them would be completely different,” Nurmagomedov said when asked about those potential fights at the PFL Dubai post-fight press conference. “They’re fighters of a different level in terms of skill. For example, Arman both wrestles and strikes.
“So the preparation would have been entirely different. But the result would have been the same.”
Now 21-0 with one no contest in his career, Nurmagomedov has been one of the most dominant fighters during his run through Bellator and the PFL.
Usman comes from Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s lineage with cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov as his head coach. His brother Umar Nurmagomedov is always in his corner and he routinely trains with UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev.
The pedigree is certainly there and Nurmagomedov believes he would fare well against anybody at 155 pounds in the world.
When it comes specifically to a showdown against Tsarukyan, who possesses a similar skill set with a dominant ground game and underrated striking skills, Nurmagomedov didn’t blink.
“Well, unlike Arman I don’t have a loss,” Nurmagomedov said with a smile.
With his win on Saturday in Dubai, Nurmagomedov now has one fight remaining on his current PFL contract and he’s previously stated he expects to compete again later in the year. There’s no word yet if he plans to re-sign with PFL or potentially test free agency where there’s little doubt Nurmagomedov would become a prime target for the UFC, especially now that there’s no conflict with Makhachev having left the lightweight division.
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