Khabib Nurmagomedov has used Umar Nurmagomedov’s newest win to push his cousin straight again into the guts of the bantamweight title dialog, whereas Umar himself is conserving his public stance measured on when a second crack at gold would possibly come.
Will Umar Nurmagomedov Get a Title Shot in 2026? Khabib Says He’s Prepared, however UFC Could Need One Extra Combat
After Umar’s unanimous resolution victory over former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 324 in Perth, Khabib posted an in depth message on Instagram, praising his cousin for logging two fights in three months and signalling that their staff desires a fast return. The previous light-weight champion wrote that “whether or not they give us the belt or not, it doesn’t matter, we’re able to battle in Could or June,” and framed the latest run as solely the start for Umar.
Khabib also used the post to pivot attention to another member of the family. He “passed the baton” to Bellator light-weight champion Usman Nurmagomedov, who’s scheduled to defend his title on February 7 in Dubai as a part of the Bellator Champions Sequence, saying the staff is already “ready” for Usman’s subsequent win. That line bolstered Khabib’s position as an organiser of careers as a lot as a coach throughout the Nurmagomedov steady.
Inside the cage at UFC 324, Umar relied on his wrestling and top control to neutralise Figueiredo, who came in heavy at 138.5 pounds to turn the bout into a catchweight contest. The decision pushed Umar’s professional record to 20‑1, with independent rankings showing him at 19‑1 entering 2026 before the Perth result, and holding a top‑four bantamweight position globally. It also marked his second win since a five‑round title-fight loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311, a bout later listed among 2025’s best fights.
Despite Khabib’s assertive tone, Umar has tried to cool talk of a direct shot at Petr Yan’s title. Chatting with reporters throughout fight week, he stated he didn’t anticipate the UFC to supply him a championship bout straight after defeating Figueiredo, and was ready to compete once more as many instances as wanted earlier than a 2026 title alternative. Umar floated the thought of headlining an occasion in Abu Dhabi in opposition to Track Yadong or Sean O’Malley, relying how the promotion books Yan’s anticipated defence in opposition to Dvalishvili and O’Malley’s personal push for one more crack on the belt.
That stance fits with comments he has made since the Dvalishvili loss, where he stressed the need to return quickly, collect wins and let the matchmaking play out instead of campaigning aggressively in public. At the same time, Khabib has been consistent in arguing that Umar’s style and ranking already justify a title fight, stressing after earlier main‑event wins that his cousin is “ready” for the division’s elite.
