Umar Nurmagomedov gives unfortunate update on potential next fight
Umar Nurmagomedov has quickly made himself one of the most entertaining prospects in the sport and a large number of fans can't wait to see him back in action, but that unfortunately will have to wait a little longer.
The 27-year-old is somewhat of an anomaly, given his clear love for striking. Fighters hailing from Dagestan bring with them a dominant grappling style that has earned success for many athletes in the cage, and although the youngster does possess these traits, he has too developed a nasty standup game.
In a post on social media, Umar Nurmagomedov gave an update on where he stands regarding his next fight in the octagon, insisting that nobody is willing to take the fight against him.
Still waiting for challenge 😄
This has been a common occurrence in a number of fighters' careers and seems to be plaguing the promising bantamweight's progression in the division. At 16-0, the Eagles MMA athlete finds himself ranked just outside the top 10 and is desperate to maneuver his way into title contention.
Since joining the UFC and debuting in early 2021, Umar has been a force at 135 and arguably looks like a certain future title challenger at the very least. Wins over Sergey Morozov, Brian Kelleher, and Nathan Maness, alongside a nasty knockout of Raoni Barcelos, have made the Russian a much-avoided fighter.
Khabib Nurmagomedov's cousin has managed to snatch two performance-of-the-night bonuses, compete at both featherweight and bantamweight, and finish three of four opponents thus far into his short UFC career.
Umar Nurmagomedov's next fight: Who is available for the shining talent?
The bantamweight division is arguably the best weight class in the entirety of mixed martial arts, and although it is filled with killers, there are not too many options available for Umar Nurmagomedov.
With the majority of the top 10 at 135 lbs either booked to fight, coming off a recent fight or sitting out in wait for a title shot, it leaves the former WCSF and WMMAA World Combat Sambo Championship gold medalist in a tricky situation.
Originally, Ricky Simon had called for a fight against Umar but has now been matched up against Asian powerhouse Song Yadong. Sean O'Malley has been targeted by the Russia native on multiple occasions, but it seems 'Sugar' is patiently waiting to be offered a shot at UFC gold.
Dominick Cruz seems like a viable option as he sits on the sidelines without a fight, but another big-name opponent for the phenom is former flyweight king Deiveson Figueiredo.