In Photos: Usman Nurmagomedov rolls back the clock, reconnects with memories of late coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov and others post-title defence

Usman Nurmagomedov recently rolled back the clock to honor the cherished memories of his late coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov after he retained his lightweight title with a unanimous decision over Alexander Shabliy.

Nurmagomedov leveraged his wrestling prowess and striking proficiency to secure the fight with scores of 50-45, 49-46, and 49-46 in the main event of Bellator Championship Series 4 at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego. Following the win, Nurmagomedov posted a picture with Abdulmanap and his brother UFC fighter Umar in a throwback photo and captioned the post:

"How we started and where we have reached, and what lies ahead. Anyway, Alhamdulillah! want to say a big thank you to everyone who was sick and worried. To all my team, coaches, and sparring partners, to my brothers who are beside me and support me. Thank you so much to everyone. AND STILL!"

Check out the post below:

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Usman Nurmagomedov reconnects with memories of late coach Abdulmanap [Images courtesy: @usman_nurmagomedov on Instagram]

Nurmagomedov wields an 18-0 record with one no contest on his profile. The Dagestani scored a unanimous decision win over Brent Primus. However, the decision was overturned after he tested positive for a banned substance in a prescription drug. While he served a six month ban, the unintentional nature of the test ensured that he was not stripped of the title.

Khabib Nurmagomedov reacts to Usman Nurmagomedov's win at Bellator Champions Series 4

Usman Nurmagomedov successfully defended his lightweight throne against Alexandr Shabliy at Bellator Champions Series 4 on Sept. 7.

He hailed his opponent as a "tough" challenge after the win and laid out his plan to compete in Dubai next. His cousin and former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov reflected on the Bellator lightweight champion's performance in the post-fight interview and said:

"First of all, I want to say thank you to Shabily, he is a very, very tough opponent who has trained with us like six or seven years ago – so we know he was a very tough opponent but that’s why this was a very important fight for us." [H/t: Bloody Elbow]

He added:

"You know sometimes when you are 26 [years old] and you are fighting somebody who is 32, they are both on prime [form] but 32 is much better than 26 and if you beat him, you jump to that different level. I think Usman is right now one of the best lightweights in the world."