Khabib Nurmagomedov cornered his cousin, Usman Nurmagomedov, during his maiden title defense at Bellator Champions Series 4. The champion scored a hard-earned unanimous decision win over Alexander Shabliy, leading ‘The Eagle’ to share a few words on the process before Usman’s title defense. He believes that the Bellator lightweight champion is improving with each outing.

Despite not being in the UFC, Usman Nurmagomedov has already established himself as one of the biggest forces in Team Khabib. The UFC Hall of Famer immediately claimed that he was going to be the successor to his and Islam Makhachev‘s legacy in the lightweight division. “I was before, now it’s our brother Islam [Makhachev], and Usman is next. This is the dynasty,” the 29-0 legend said after the fight. But Khabib was also proud as Usman’s brother and he got a bit emotional with his message on Instagram.

Khabib Nurmagomedov lauds Usman for his title defense

‘The Eagle’ claims that the 50-45, 49-46, and 49-46 scorecards say everything there is about Usman’s caliber and level of skill. This was only possible because of their relentless training sessions, something that Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team is known for. Whether there is a fight or not, training never stops for the Dagestani boys.

“I think there is nothing to add here, our performance speaks for itself, we prepared long and hard,” Khabib Nurmagomedov wrote on Instagram. He shared a few pictures after his cousin’s win, embracing him after making it 18-0 in his record while highlighting the fact that Usman is now on a higher skill level before capping it off with a saying from his late father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

“[Usman] had a very competent fight, you can see that he is growing every year and every fight,” Khabib Nurmagomedov added, “As my Father told us: keeping the old qualities, we move on.” So what’s next for Usman? Well, it’s just this first title defense after the previous one was overturned into a no-contest. There’s definitely more to come.

Meanwhile, Usman Nurmagomedov’s confidence is sky-high. The Bellator lightweight champion has now made it his mission to live up to Khabib’s expectations and shade a confident claim about his future in MMA.

Usman claims he’s “the future”

The kind of performances Usman Nurmagomedov has showcased so far has been nothing short of impressive because of his all-round fighting style. The 26-year-old has 14 of his 18 wins coming by finishes. It includes 8 knockouts and 6 submissions. With such a record under his belt, the Bellator champion, during the post-fight presser, appeared thankful for his team’s support while making a promise to Khabib Nurmagomedov.

“I love these guys so much. They help my growth, not as just an MMA fighter – as a human, I grow more than as an MMA fighter or something. I just want to say thank you for all of these guys,” Usman Nurmagomedov stated. “I will prove [Khabib right]. This is the future. I am the future.” With the kind of pace that he’s moving in his professional career, very few people would argue with Usman’s statement.

What do you think lies ahead for Usman Nurmagomedov? Can he surpass Khabib and Islam? Drop your comments below.