Bellator 255 takes place this Friday in the Mohegan Sun Arena. Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin Usman Nurmagomedov will make his debut under the banner of the organization. He is set to fight Mike Hamel in a lightweight bout.

Nurmagomedov has already confirmed that  ‘The Eagle’ will be in his corner for this fight. The Russian aims to carry on with his undefeated record as a professional with yet another win over Hamel. ‘Magic’ will enter the contest on the back of a split decision loss in his last outing at Bellator 255.

Nurmagomedov has a professional record of 11-0. The promising star has finished 10 out of his 11 wins with 7 of them coming off T/KO and 3 by submission.

He represents the new wave of talent coming from Russia. These athletes are very well-rounded and are just as dangerous with their striking as they are with their grappling.

Nurmagomedov has finished all of his last 5 fights within 2 rounds. In fact, he has only once gone the full distance of a fight in his professional career.

Needless to say, he is a highly talented prospect and has an extra chip on his shoulder as the pride of Dagestan in addition to the furthering legacy of the Nurmagomedov family in Bellator MMA.

Hamel, on the other hand, holds a professional record of 7-4. The 28-year-old fighter has 3 finishes on his resume with all of them coming by way of T/KOs.

The fight against Nurmagomedov will be his toughest test to date. But it will also be a chance for him to catapult in the rankings as Usman certainly has the name value.

Usman Nurmagomedov vs Mike Hamel: Who takes the W?

Nurmagomedov likes to finish his fights, and he usually finishes them early. As mentioned earlier, only one of his fights has ever entered the 3rd round.

Also, making a debut in the big leagues, the Russian will be focused and determined to make a name for himself. So, it won’t be surprising if he starts the fight fast.

Hamel, however, has been finished twice in the very first round of a contest. So, the chances of Nurmagomedov getting the early finish are really high.

Final Prediction: Nurmagomedov by first-round T/KO

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