Usman Nurmagomedov officially entered free agency last week after defeating Archie Colgan at PFL New York, completing the final fight of his contract with the promotion. Almost immediately, speculation about the undefeated lightweight’s future shifted toward the UFC, with fans calling for the promotion to sign one of the sport’s most accomplished fighters outside the Octagon. That possibility gained even more momentum after UFC CEO Dana White was asked about signing Khabib’s cousin during the UFC Belgrade post-fight press conference. White responded with a simple “yes,” fueling speculation that the PFL lightweight champion could soon be headed to the UFC.

Amid the negotiations that ensued after the 22-0 fighter entered free agency, one potential debut has already captured the imagination of fans: a blockbuster clash with former UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria. Speaking on the Pound 4 Pound podcast with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo, Usman’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, revealed that Topuria is the opponent he wants for Nurmagomedov’s first UFC appearance.

“I’m going to tell you something. The fight I want, if he goes to the UFC, I want Ilia Topuria first fight,” Abdelaziz stated. “First fight. Why not? Listen, there’s a beef there. Ilia created the beef. He created a pie. He put it in a pie. The pie would not go in the oven because he ran out of gas. He ran out of gas.   

“He talked a lot of things. He wrote a lot of checks he couldn’t cash. Guess what? I’m bringing the whole fire. And if these people want this fight to happen, we can make it happen.”    

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For the UFC, matching Usman Nurmagomedov against Ilia Topuria in his promotional debut could produce a spectacular showdown. The Dagestani is one of the biggest names outside the UFC and also the reigning PFL lightweight champion. Those credentials, combined with his undefeated record, make Usman an ideal candidate to face ‘El Matador,’ who has become one of the UFC’s biggest stars in the modern era. But as Abdelaziz pointed out, the heated beef between the two makes the matchup even more intriguing. 

Before defending his featherweight belt against Max Holloway at UFC 308, Topuria appeared on an Instagram Live where a fan asked whether he planned to move up to lightweight and challenge Islam Makhachev. Animated as ever, the Georgian-Spaniard welcomed the idea, but not without issuing a direct threat to Makhachev, claiming the Dagestani would have to pay his medical bills if they ever got into a street fight.

Those comments, of course, did not sit well with Usman Nurmagomedov. He fired back at Topuria on X, writing, “When did you ever fight on the streets, European?” That exchange only escalated the feud, as the former lightweight champion responded with a brutal jab at Usman over his failed drug test in 2023.

“It has been a long time, to be honest,” Topuria replied. “How are you doing with drugs? Are you still on steroids?” 

To clarify, Usman Nurmagomedov never actually tested positive for steroids. However, the California State Athletic Commission suspended him for six months and fined him $50,000 after he tested positive for a prescription drug without any therapeutic use exemption. Topuria used that controversy to take a dig at Usman.

With that history in place, it’s easy to understand why many fans believe the rivalry is ready-made for the UFC.

Fans are clamoring for an Ilia Topuria vs. Usman Nurmagomedov showdown

One fan wrote, “Ali Abdelaziz 😎 Let’s do this fight 🔥🔥🔥.” Following that, a different user commented, “It’ll be a banger fight ngl, but he really wants the smoke for his fighter 👏🏾.”  

The excitement around this matchup continued as another fan wrote, “Ali always talking the biggest game 🔥 Usman vs Topuria as a debut would be absolute chaos. 👀”  

Indeed, an Ilia Topuria vs. Usman Nurmagomedov fight would be pure fireworks. Both fighters possess elite striking skills, while their grappling is equally formidable. For that, either lightweight has the ability to shut the other’s lights out at any moment. Shedding more light on that, Usman’s head coach, Javier Mendez of American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), told Submission Radio that Topuria would be a “dream fight” and the “toughest” puzzle for his fighter to solve. 

Another fan also wanted to see this banger of a fight come together, unless Topuria receives an immediate rematch against Gaethje, writing, “Let’s do it. Great opportunity for Ilia also unless he feels he should have an instant rematch.” Well, ‘The Highlight’ has already ruled out any possibility of facing the Spaniard again after making him quit at the UFC White House event. So, that scenario is largely off the table.

Another fan, meanwhile, called out Topuria and demanded a hefty payday for Usman Nurmagomedov to accept the fight, writing, “Previously, Ilia’s team demanded a sum of 20 million to fight Islam Makhachev. Now it is our turn… we are the ones who want this sum to fight Ilia. Usman vs. Ilia. Usman is undefeated 💰.”

Ahead of the UFC White House event, reports emerged that Topuria had demanded a staggering $20 million to fight Islam Makhachev. While that figure was never officially confirmed, ‘El Matador’s manager admitted they had asked for a substantial purse that the UFC ultimately could not meet, leading to the Gaethje fight on June 14 instead. Referring to that, the fan argued that Usman should now demand the same amount to face the 29-year-old. 

Though most fans are confident that Nurmagomedov would beat Topuria in a potential matchup, one fan believes the former UFC lightweight champion would defeat both him and Justin Gaethje upon his return, writing, “Ilia will beat Justin 9/10. Ilia will humiliate Usman 10/10. Usman won’t be the champ. Ilia will take his belt back. And nobody is gonna give Usman big fights from the beginning… useless talk.”

After that, a different user argued that the UFC would take a much more cautious approach with the undefeated Dagestani, commenting, “He’ll get a guy ranked 5-10 at best for his first fight.” In that case, the winner of Quillan Salkilld vs. Mateusz Gamrot could potentially welcome him to the division, but that matchup would not generate the same level of hype as a showdown against Topuria.

That said, while the speculation surrounding Ilia Topuria vs. Usman Nurmagomedov continues to generate massive interest, the UFC has yet to officially sign the undefeated Dagestani. So, fans will have to wait a little longer before truly dreaming about that blockbuster clash.