Nurmagomedov to Pick UFC or PFL Within Month
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- Usman Nurmagomedov knocked out Archie Colgan in New York to retain his PFL lightweight title, finishing out his contract and becoming a free agent at 22-0 and age 28.
- Khabib Nurmagomedov, Usman's cousin and coach, said on Instagram that negotiations over his next move will take place 'over the next month,' calling Usman the best lightweight outside the UFC and comparing him to UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev.
- PFL announced a merger with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) — co-owned by Jake Paul — last week, just as Nurmagomedov's contract expired, raising questions about whether the new entity can match UFC offers.
- Nurmagomedov directly asked Paul for a 'bonus' after the Colgan knockout; Paul offered to buy him a car for his next KO, to which Nurmagomedov replied cryptically: 'we don't know what's going to happen tomorrow.'
- Dana White, asked about signing Nurmagomedov after UFC's Belgrade event, replied 'sure' with a wry smile — while Nurmagomedov noted in his post-fight interview that MVP 'always trash talk about Dana saying he doesn't pay,' adding 'now we're gonna see how they're gonna pay.'
- The financial calculus is decisive: Nurmagomedov has publicly said he values money over legacy, while UFC pays fighters roughly 20% of revenue — a policy fighters have criticized — and the PFL/MVP pay structure remains unannounced.
Why it matters: Nurmagomedov's choice is the first major fighter test of the PFL/MVP merger's ability to retain top talent against the UFC's pull. With Usman openly prioritizing money over legacy and UFC's 20% fighter-pay share widely criticized, MVP co-owner Jake Paul's public car-bonus offer reads as an opening bid — but UFC president Dana White's 'sure' signals he expects to make one too. Whoever wins this auction sets the benchmark for how PFL/MVP must price its roster going forward.
