Carrying a name that has a huge legacy attached to it in any sport is both a blessing and a curse. Umar Nurmagomedov felt that pressure when he stepped inside the Octagon with Merab Dvalishvili and crumbled under pressure. Now, the eyes will be on his return at UFC 321 when he takes on Mario Bautista, but guess what? Umar claims that his coach and cousin, Khabib Nurmagomedov, has put no pressure on him at all.

Belal Muhammad claimed during an interview that Khabib Nurmagomedov is pushing Umar to his limits in the current camp for this weekend’s fight. However, the bantamweight fighter, when he appeared during an interview ahead of his return, seemed rather calm and composed, as he revealed how ‘The Eagle’ viewed his maiden professional loss.

Khabib has put no pressure on Umar Nurmagomedov

Rather than over-analyzing his loss and overthinking it, Umar Nurmagomedov has made a conscious decision to look at the challenge that lies ahead. Dwelling isn’t something he’s a fan of, as he revealed that the UFC 311 defeat was never up for discussion in his camp. “I even don’t remember [when] we talk about that [first loss]. Like, ‘Why you lost?’ Like, ‘You can’t lost again’ or something like that,” the bantamweight fighter told TMZ. “We just look in ahead and train very hard to take this victory [against Mario Bautista].”

One loss doesn’t really define a fighter, and Khabib Nurmagomedov seems to have decided not to make this a central narrative for Umar. Instead, he’s giving the bantamweight star time to process what went down against Merab Dvalishvili on his own, which allows him the space to grow as a fighter and rebuild himself. It’s been months since Umar lost, and it wasn’t a finish. Now, his motive is entirely based on progression, and as he took inspiration from the ups and downs of the legends of the past, he revealed his plans to come back stronger and win the belt in the future.

“When I see one of the greatest fighters, it’s Anderson Silva. He was lost against GSP. And lot of guys [have lost]… It means how you lost, too, you know. I didn’t lost like nobody choke me or something happened. It was a very close fight,” Umar Nurmagomedov added. “Everything [is] done. We’re not gonna talk about that… We’re gonna watch ahead in the future, and we’re gonna try to take this belt.”

Well, Umar’s teammate, Islam Makhachev, doesn’t have a squeaky clean record either because he’s got one loss to his name, too. So, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin may not be dwelling in the past, but he has not forgotten about his loss to Merab Dvalishvili. And he wants to get that one back.

Umar wants revenge for his UFC 311

Umar Nurmagomedov, with a strong performance, could get a title shot with a win at UFC 321. But he claims that even if someone else were the champion instead of Merab Dvalishvili, he’ll happily go for the rematch first. Umar wants to give ‘The Machine’ its due. But the fact that the title is still held by the Georgian star, fighting him will be a bonus. He ended his statement by claiming that he wants to make his return after UFC 321 as early as January next year, even if it’s not against Dvalishvili.

“If I will choose [between a title fight and rematch with Dvalishvili], maybe revenge I want more. We’ll see. Maybe he’s going to take some rest after this fight. It’s his fourth fight of the year. It’s not easy. We’ll see what happens after our fights,” Umar Nurmagomedov told MMA Junkie. “I want to fight in January or February. I don’t want to wait for anybody. It’s going to depend on what the UFC says.”

Umar Nurmagomedov may be planning what comes after UFC 321, but Mario Bautista is not one to be overlooked. The 32-year-old has been undefeated since 2022, so it will be an exciting matchup. Let us know what you think about Nurmagomedov’s return this weekend. Drop your comments below.