Khabib Nurmagomedov has tipped a 17-0 MMA prospect, who was removed from the UFC roster, to go on and become a world champion. The endorsement from the undefeated former lightweight king adds significant weight to the fighter's prospects outside the promotion.
Retired UFC lightweight legend Khabib Nurmagomedov has thrown his public support behind an undefeated 17-0 prospect who was cut from the UFC roster, declaring the fighter has the potential to become a world champion.
Nurmagomedov, who retired with a perfect 29-0 record and remains one of the most decorated lightweights in mixed martial arts history, carries considerable authority when assessing talent in the sport. The 37-year-old Russian, who competed out of Fightspirit Team and built his legacy on a suffocating grappling style — averaging 5.32 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career — is not a figure whose endorsements are easily dismissed. His backing of a fighter removed from the world's premier MMA organization immediately elevates that fighter's profile on the global stage.
The prospect in question enters the wider MMA landscape with an unblemished 17-0 record despite being released by the UFC, a situation that has become an increasingly visible tension in the sport as roster cuts do not always reflect a fighter's ceiling.
Why it matters
- A public endorsement from the sport's most celebrated undefeated fighter draws immediate international attention to the cut prospect.
- Being released from the UFC with a 17-0 record suggests the fighter's style or matchmaking, rather than ability, may have contributed to the departure.
- The prospect now enters the open market with Nurmagomedov's stamp of approval, which could attract opportunities across major rival promotions.
- If the fighter goes on to win a title elsewhere, it raises broader questions about UFC roster decisions and talent evaluation.
