Usman Nurmagomedov isn’t one for small talk. Or, in the literal sense, small talk is all he wishes to engage in.
Whether it’s that the unbeaten Dagestani is conversing in his second language – only 27 years old, his command of English is commendable – or that he considers talk, particularly within the rarefied air of professional mixed martial arts, to be cheap.
Yet the result is that, whatever the Professional Fighters League (PFL) lightweight champion does utter, it tends to carry a certain menace.
Just take his thoughts on Alfie Davis, his braggart opponent at the top of the card at Saturday’s PFL Road to Dubai. Nurmagomedov, 21-0 (1 NC) as a pro, hasn’t been too impressed by Davis’ unabated bluster in the build-up.
The Englishman, who to earn his shot at the belt defeated Nurmagomedov teammate Gadzhi Rabadanov last August, claims the current champion, cousin to MMA legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, is hugely overhyped.
Understandably, Nurmagomedov doesn’t subscribe to that. And this weekend provides the perfect platform to prove it.
“I'm going to beat him,” Nurmagomedov says, characteristically matter-of-factly. “There is no way he can beat me.
“If he wants to beat me, he has to put his life on the line. And we’ll see if that’s going to happen. But, if you’re not ready for that, for him, it's better to stay at home.”
Davis, speaking to The National, questioned – as he has done since the title fight was announced – Nurmagomedov’s heart, his appetite for adversity. Labelling Nurmagomedov a “rich boy” whose lineage rather than talent has hoisted him to the top of the PFL tree, Davis denies his rival has any “dog” in him. The title-holder, of course, begs to differ.
“I am only 27 years old,” Nurmagomedov says. “This is only the beginning of my career and, behind my shoulders, I have 21 fights. And if he thinks this let him think; it doesn't make sense.
“I don't care about that. It's not the first time I'm trying to defend my title, and I’m always staying calm when somebody wants to talk with me or says something. This doesn't affect me.”
Undoubtedly, Nurmagomedov’s skin has thickened considerably following twin battles last year against the formidable Paul Hughes.
In both clashes that took place at the same Coca-Cola Arena where Nurmagomedov will duel with Davis, the Irishman pushed the former Bellator champion to the brink, especially in the initial bout 12 months ago.
Ultimately, Nurmagomedov prevailed by majority decision when it felt the result could go either way. Bellator belt retained, he then captured the vacant PFL crown in the rematch in October in more convincing fashion, this time earning a unanimous decision.
If Davis doubts Nurmagomedov’s inner “dog”, his counterpart believes the Hughes jousts demonstrated he has the bark to back up the bite. “Yeah, now I feel I'm better [mentally],” he says. “I grow.”
His celebrated cousin, Khabib Nurmagomedov, concurs. “From the first fight [against Hughes], when he underestimated, to the second fight, it was nine months,” Khabib tells The National.
“And the way Usman changed as a fighter, as a human, as an athlete, I really like it. Sometimes you need a tough fight to understand your level and to come back to Earth.
“I don't talk only about Usman; it’s anybody. Sometimes when you're undefeated and you think nobody can touch you, and once somebody comes and gives you a hard time, you come back to the gym, and you can improve and you can fix your problems. This has happened with Usman in the first fight.
“For the second fight, Usman improved a lot his wrestling, his mental game, conditioning; his striking always was very good.
“But all 2025, Usman was focused only Hughes. Now I don't want his focus to go down because he fights against Alfie Davis and maybe he thinks it's going to be an easy fight. I don't think so.
“I don't want that he underestimates him. I want him taken very seriously and I really want Usman to finish this guy – maybe second or third round.”
Although with significant skin in the game, the former UFC lightweight champion, who has seven of his stable competing at Road to Dubai, clearly has huge expectations for the younger Nurmagomedov.
He ranks Usman, at present, among the top three lightweights globally in MMA, placing teammate Amru Magomedov in a lead five that includes also current UFC champion Ilia Topuria, No. 2 contender Arman Tsarukyan and interim title-holder Justin Gaethje. Magomedov contests a 155lb bout on Saturday, also. For Usman, though, Khabib reckons the ceiling is sky-high.
“He’s well-rounded,” he says. “He can wrestle, he can kick, punch; he can fight. He's very good counter-striker; his grappling is good.
“And his age. He's not 35, he's only 27. He's developing. Can you imagine if he stays like this, because the lightweight prime comes around 32, 33. If he stays like this for five more years, and every year he wins two, three fights, can you imagine if this guy stays focused?
“You never know if everything is going to go like this. Maybe he becomes a huge, huge fighter. I don't want to say ‘GOAT’ [Greatest of All Time] mode and all this, but he has big potential. Very big potential.”
Usman vows to showcase that promise this weekend. He will enter the main event as the PFL’s first-ever pound-for-pound No 1, a fresh accolade that sits well. “It's looking very good,” Nurmagomedov says of the ranking. “I'm happy. It's a good start. I will try to prove this.”
Nurmagomedov is the lead light among a strong Team Khabib contingent participating in Dubai. The last of seven “brothers” in action, he says he can draw strength from their prospective performances before he makes the walk, even while conceding it places a little more pressure on him to perform.
“I'll try to find energy for everything, to support my brothers and for smashing Alfie,” he confirms.
Contrary to that, Davis has distilled the upcoming contest down to his striking versus Nurmagomedov’s wrestling. With a pro record of 20-5-1, the former feels he will simply be too unpredictable on the feet for Nurmagomedov to handle.
“This is MMA,” Nurmagomedov counters. “We're fighting in MMA. I can stay with him in striking and, whatever I like, I can do with him. Like wrestling, grappling or stay with him striking, for me, it doesn't matter. All five rounds I can do whatever I want with him.
“I'm going to show this, February 7. I’m going to finish this guy.”
