Undefeated PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov is officially a free agent and is now able to negotiate with other promotions. He is the cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov and the younger brother of Umar Nurmagomedov.
Usman Nurmagomedov, the unbeaten PFL lightweight champion, is now a free agent and free to negotiate with other promotions. The news, dated October 29, 2026, puts one of the sport's most closely watched unbeaten fighters on the open market.
Nurmagomedov, 27, is 22-0 and ranked 14th in the pound-for-pound list. The Russian stands five-foot-eleven (180 cm) with a 71-inch reach, and his recorded numbers lean toward patient, controlled work rather than volume: 0.33 significant strikes landed per minute at 52.78 percent accuracy, plus 0.65 takedowns per 15 minutes.
He belongs to one of the most recognisable families in combat sports. His older brother, Umar Nurmagomedov, is 20-2 and ranked fourth at bantamweight in the UFC. The 30-year-old fights out of Eagles MMA and is coming off a second-round TKO loss to Song Yadong on August 29, 2026. Before that he won back-to-back unanimous decisions, over Deiveson Figueiredo on January 24, 2026, and Mario Bautista on October 25, 2025.
Their cousin, Khabib Nurmagomedov, retired 29-0 after submitting Justin Gaethje in the second round of UFC 254 on October 24, 2020. The 38-year-old lightweight great finished his career with 5.32 takedowns per 15 minutes and a 48 percent striking accuracy.
Why it matters
- Usman is 22-0 and carries a champion's status into free agency, a rare combination for a fighter still in his 20s.
- The family name adds obvious appeal for any promotion looking to sign him, given his brother's UFC presence and his cousin's legacy.
- There is a notable age gap in the family: Usman is three years younger than Umar and 11 years younger than Khabib.
- On paper, he is one of the few undefeated lightweights with a championship pedigree available to bidders.
No destination has been reported, and the news itself is the opening of negotiations rather than a move to any specific organisation.
