Usman Nurmagomedov has revealed that his team submitted a contract request to PFL/MVP worth more than $2 million per fight, with negotiations still ongoing and a 90-day window yet to expire. The undefeated lightweight champion said the process is being handled by his representative Ali Abdelaziz and that he is waiting to hear PFL's vision for his future. Nurmagomedov also pushed back on Arman Tsarukyan's suggestion that he would lose if he moved to the UFC, noting that Tsarukyan himself lost his UFC debut to Islam Makhachev.
Usman Nurmagomedov has disclosed that his team presented PFL and MVP with a contract demand exceeding $2 million per fight, with negotiations still active and a 90-day window remaining before any decision is forced.
The undefeated 27-year-old Russian holds a perfect 22-0-0 record and stands as one of the most closely watched lightweight champions in combat sports outside the UFC. At six-foot-one with a 71-inch reach, Nurmagomedov carries an unbeaten résumé that has drawn considerable attention from rival promotions. He confirmed that his representative Ali Abdelaziz is handling the discussions and that he is waiting to understand what vision PFL has for his career going forward. No deal has been finalized.
The story took an added dimension when Nurmagomedov pushed back against comments from UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan, who had suggested Nurmagomedov would struggle if he crossed over to the UFC. Nurmagomedov countered by pointing out that Tsarukyan himself suffered a defeat in his own UFC debut — a loss that came against current champion Islam Makhachev. Tsarukyan, ranked second in the UFC lightweight division at 23-3-0, has since rebuilt his standing considerably, landing 3.85 significant strikes per minute across his career. Makhachev, now the reigning welterweight champion at 29-1-0, has long been viewed as the benchmark of the lightweight and pound-for-pound elite.
Why it matters
- A figure above $2 million per fight would represent a landmark contract for a fighter outside the UFC, signaling how aggressively Nurmagomedov's camp is valuing his unbeaten status.
- If PFL cannot meet the demand before the 90-day window closes, it opens the door to speculation about his next promotional home.
- The public exchange with Tsarukyan raises the profile of a potential cross-promotional rivalry, even if no such matchup has been discussed officially.
