At the UFC 321 ceremonial weigh-ins, PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov was there to corner his brother, Umar Nurmagomedov, before his clash against Mario Bautista. And as he dealt with the UFC brass, the fans had a ray of hope that he might actually have plans to join the UFC in the future. At the event, their hope almost became a reality when Usman shook Dana White’s hand. But the truth couldn’t have been further from the initial assumption. 

Honestly, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin has been one of PFL’s most well-known fighters. Aside from Francis Ngannou, Usman Nurmagomedov carried Donn Davis’ promotion’s banner for a long time, and his clashes with Paul Hughes were also amazing. With that in mind, many thought the promotion wouldn’t let him go so easily. Well, that conviction became true as it’s been revealed that the undefeated Dagestani will headline PFL’s first event of 2026 against Alfie Davis. 

Usman Nurmagomedov smashes UFC debut talks as 2026 PFL fight gets announced 

Professional Fighting League’s CEO, John Martin, posted on X, “Proud to announce our first main event of 2026. PFL Lightweight Champion Usman Nurmagomedov will defend his title against 2025 PFL World Tournament Champion Alfie Davis. LIVE from Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena on Saturday, February 7th. A massive start to 2026. 💥” 

PFL’s 2026 season kicks off strong as its lightweight champion returns to the cage, aiming to push his record to 21-0. But with that announcement, we can safely say the UFC doesn’t seem to be considering Usman Nurmagomedov for their roster. Usman Nurmagomedov is undefeated with 20 wins, and eight of them were TKOs. Adding to that, he has won six bouts via submission. Sure, ‘The Young Eagle’s’ brother carried plenty of hype, but despite Usman’s accolades, Dana White already hinted that he isn’t interested.

At the UFC 321 post-fight presser, the UFC CEO said, “We have an incredible relationship with them. I don’t know the answer to the question. I would talk to the matchmakers.” Now, White didn’t outright say that he’s not interested, but his reaction wasn’t very enthusiastic when talking about Usman joining the UFC, where his cousin Khabib built his legacy.

However, even if the UFC head honcho doesn’t seem too hyped about signing the PFL 155 lbs champ, a former UFC bantamweight champion believes the Dagestani could pose a serious threat to the current UFC lightweight roster.

Sean O’Malley believes Khabib’s cousin could challenge Ilia Topuria   

When we talk about superfights in the UFC, it’s always Ilia Topuria vs Islam Makhachev, because they’re the top fighters in the promotion. But if there’s any cross-promotional bout, it would be ‘El Matador’ vs Usman Nurmagomedov. Reason? Both are undefeated, have captivating fighting styles, and have beaten some really tough contenders. Because of that, former bantamweight champ Sean O’Malley also believes Usman could actually take on Topuria if he ever fought in the UFC.

While reacting to Usman vs Hughes in one of his YouTube videos, Suga said, “That Paul Hughes vs Usman. I watched that fight back. That was a sweet fight. Those guys are both so high-level. I would love those guys to come to the UFC and fight guys like Ilia or just the top at 155 lbs.” The former UFC bantamweight champ made it clear that a Topuria vs Nurmagomedov showdown could easily grab some serious attention. And apparently, there’s already a bit of heat brewing between them.  

For the unversed, Usman has a real issue with Ilia Topuria being labeled the best lightweight fighter in the world right now. Before running it back with Paul Hughes for the second time, he told MMA Fighting in an interview, “Come on, Ilia Topuria, how can he be lightweight No. 1 in the world? He cannot be. He did only one fight. I have 19 fights in lightweight.”

Honestly, it’s hard not to imagine what Usman Nurmagomedov could’ve done in the UFC, especially with the kind of talent he carries at lightweight. But the bigger question is simple: Do you ever see Dana White becoming interested in signing him? Let us know in the comments below.