The last time anyone saw Usman Nurmagomedov inside a cage was when he jumped into the Octagon at UFC 302. He was overjoyed when Islam Makhachev choked out Dustin Poirier in round five of the main event. Now, Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s cousin is gearing up for his own title defense. The Bellator lightweight champion has the support of both Khabib and Islam Makhachev all the way.

Both have been involved in the training of Khabib’s cousin and the 17 -0 star is going to return on September 7th after a six-month suspension for violating doping rules and regulations. ‘The Eagle’ also claimed that we might be getting the best version of his cousin. Recently Islam Makhahcev joined Khabib to motivate Usman Nurmagomedov ahead of his fight. Will the firm advice be enough for the Bellator champ to win? 

Usman Nurmagomedov gets a shoutout from Islam Makahchev

The lightweight champion recently uploaded an Instagram story where he motivated the Bellator fighter with just 5 words. He shared a picture of Usman and wrote, “Hard work always pays off.” The 26-year-old shared a carousel of pictures in his profile while thanking his mentors for the amazing training. This is when the Dagestani decided to give him firm advice through his stories. Usman Nurmagomedov is a finisher and has already registered four finishes in 6 of his fights. However, during his last fight, he had tested positive for d*ug failure and was handed a $50,000 fine. In addition, his last bout against Brent Primus was overturned to a no contest.

Despite the setback, he has denied taking any steroids as he is preparing for his return on September 7th in California. “It was medication,“ he told MMA Junkie, about the failed test. Yet, the details of the test were never released and luckily, he was not stripped of the Bellator lightweight title.

Just like Makhachev motivated him by saying their hard work is always rewarded, Khabib also said that six months of time off was good for him. These 6 months of suspension, might not be a long layoff for an MMA fighter but the Bellator Champion had a lot of time to get refocused to get into the fight. So let’s dive deep into how he got into his best form.

Usman is at his best according to Khabib Nurmagomedov

Usman Nurmagomedov has taken these six months to train extremely hard and he is ready for the action. Alexander Shabliy, his opponent, has remained undefeated since 2017 at the Bellator Champions Series, so he is a pretty tough competitor. Meanwhile, Usman’s elder cousin brother Khabib Nurmagomedov, is confident about his younger brother’s next fight. ‘The Eagle’ has been coaching the whole Dagestani Camp and confidently claimed that the lightweight champion would showcase one of the best performances of his career.

“In a few days, Usman will defend his belt for the second time. He’s prepared better than ever,” the UFC Hall of Famer told ‘Red Corner MMA’. Luckily the dr** test did not affect the whole camp or Khabib’s reputation. On top of that, the 26-year-old became candid about his suspension and said that he did not intentionally use the banned substances.

“We have a deal with the California Commission, and I cannot tell the media or someone, but it was medication. If it were a steroid, they have to say, ‘This was a steroid.’ And they have to give me more time for suspension,” Nurmagomedov told ‘MMA Junkie’. He had said that the banned substance was inside a prescribed medicine, which they failed to disclose in time.

Nevertheless, these things are in the past now and he’s ready to take on the next challenge. Do you think with the motivation of his team he will remain the champion?