Usman Nurmagomedov has made a statement at Bellator San Diego! The undefeated Dagestani fighter kept his record spotless and has now improved to 18-0. The voice in his corner for this crucial clash? Former UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov! In a statement made ahead of the bout, ‘The Eagle’ had proclaimed, “Usman Nurmagomedov is the future of this sport… Him and me was trained by my father, and now I train him.”

The fight was Usman Nurmagomedov’s first foray into competition since October 2023. With questions about his performance being impacted by the long hiatus, many were wondering if the Bellator Lightweight Champion would have trouble taking on Alexandr Shabily. However, all the doubts have now been laid to rest as the title will once again be going home with Team Khabib, and ‘The Eagle’ had a bold proclamation about what makes his team so unique and dominant!

Usman Nurmagomedov adds another win to Team Khabib’s “dynasty” at Bellator San Diego 

The fight between Alexandr Shabily and Usman Nurmagomedov went the distance for the full five rounds. In the first round, the Dagestani champion maintained his distance but landed a big takedown. The story of the fight was Nurmagomedov’s pressure and Shabily looking for counters while the champion closed the range.

In the fourth round, a huge head kick landed flush on Shabily’s face, but surprisingly he didn’t crumple to the floor. Nurmagomedov picked up the pace and went after him and tried to lock in a guillotine choke, but his opponent survived and got back to his feet at the end of the round.

When the final scores were read out, Usman Nurmagomedov retained his belt as he was awarded the unanimous decision victory with scores of 50-45, 49-46, 49-46. After the fight, Khabib Nurmagomedov entered the Bellator cage and proclaimed, “I think Usman is right now one of the best lightweights in the world. I was before, now it’s our brother Islam [Makhachev], and Usman is next. This is dynasty.”

The Dagestani camp now holds both the UFC lightweight title and the Bellator lightweight title. So what’s next? Only time will tell, but for now, the next generation of Dagestani champions are poised to continue the legacy ‘The Eagle’ has left behind in the sport! But what about the chances of arguably the greatest UFC lightweight ever to return to the spot which he left with an undefeated record? 

‘The Eagle’ stronger than ever before but MMA return unlikely claims Bellator lightweight champion

Khabib Nurmagomedov may have stepped away from competition, but his presence in the MMA world remains as powerful as ever. Dedicating himself to his protégé, Islam Makhachev, and his cousin, Usman Nurmagomedov’s coaching, the retired champion, is stronger than ever!

In a recent statement made to Bloody Elbow, the Bellator lightweight champion indicated, “he is now 93kg (205lb), and can you imagine some guy who is pound-for-pound king now only stronger than he was?” But even so, his cousin is certain of one thing: Khabib’s retirement is final. Despite being regularly flooded with offers to return to fighting, Usman revealed that, “I know Khabib is done. If he says something, he will follow it. Even when he dies, he will follow it, no matter what anybody says.”

As much as fans would love to see him fight again, it seems more likely that he’ll remain a fixture in the corners of champions, quietly molding the next generation. So, is there truly any chance Khabib might return? Based on everything we’ve seen and heard, it seems highly unlikely. But in the unpredictable world of MMA, you never know. Could we one day see ‘The Eagle’ soar again? Let us know what you think in the comments below!