Who will take the mantle once Islam Makhachev retires to the mountains with Khabib Nurmagomedov? That question is becoming louder after PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov (20-0)  and his previously undefeated brother Umar (20-1)  failed to impress fans in their last few outings. Now, ‘The Eagle’ himself has answered.

34-year-old Makhachev is doing a phenomenal job carrying Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s legacy. But he has stated that he plans to hang it up once he is 35. So, Khabib, in an interview with Red Corner MMA, revealed two more names, and he seems to be looking past his own surname for the next fighter to represent the region well. 

Khabib Nurmagomedov names two fighters ‘no one can beat’

“In PFL, we have very good fighters,” the 37-year-old said. Khabib’s cousin, Usman, is about to defend his lightweight title against PFL Grand Prix winner Alfie Davis on Saturday, February 7, 2026, in PFL Dubai’s main event at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, UAE. However, ‘The Eagle’ claims there are two other faces people need to watch out for. 

“I don’t think somebody in the world can beat these guys. It’s Renat Khavalov, bantamweight, and Amru Magomedov, lightweight,” Khabib Nurmagomedov said. Khavalov (10-0) is only 27, and is scheduled to fight Edgars Skrīvers (17-4) in a bantamweight bout. Meanwhile, 26-year-old Amru Magomedov (9-0) is set to face Kolton Englund (15-4) in a lightweight bout. 

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Khavalov is a homegrown talent in Dagestan. His first three professional bouts were with Gorilla Fighting Championship. He debuted on GFC: Dagestan and won the divisional title in his third bout. After Khabib bought GFC in 2020 and branded it Eagle FC, he defended his belt four times before moving to UAE Warriors, and then to the PFL.

While Khavalov has already fought twice under PFL, Amru Magomedov will be making his debut under the promotion’s banner. He had a similar path as Khavalov, starting with MPF, then the GFC/Eagle FC, and later the UAE Warriors, where he won the lightweight belt and defended it twice. Khabib is confident these two fighters will remain undefeated.

He confessed, “Maybe, I can say one or two, maybe three guys can give them a hard time. I was in a professional sport since I was [a] kid. Even when I was not competing, I saw so many champions, and these two guys, I don’t think many people can even give them a hard time,” Khabib told the reporter during the interview. That being said, what does the 37-year-old think about his cousin’s upcoming fight? 

Khabib predicts cousin’s next fight

Speaking ahead of fight night, the former UFC lightweight champion stressed the importance of focus, while confidently predicting the outcome. “It’s important that we don’t underestimate what’s in front of us, but if you want my prediction, I would say Usman [Nurmagoemdov] finishes the fight in the second or third round.”

‘The Eagle’ has been working closely with Usman since retiring from competition and believes his cousin’s intense preparation will make the difference. “If you want to stay champion, you have to train like one every day,” Khabib has told him. 

Usman will look to put on another statement performance in front of friends and family in Dubai. Meanwhile, his opponent, Alfie Davis, has audaciously claimed he wants to add Khabib to his resume after he beats Usman Nurmagomedov.

It appears that the Dagestani wrestling dynasty is in good hands. But can it continue to dominate the MMA scene in the years to come? And when the time eventually comes, will Renat Khavalov and Amru Magomedov be up to the task?