In a fight that many people were putting their chips on Umar Nurmagomedov to win, he lost in a rather lopsided fashion. Not only did the bantamweight star lose the zero in his record and get humbled by Merab Dvalishvili, but he also suffered a major wrist injury, and for that, he had to undergo surgery. “Umar is getting a surgery tomorrow on his hand, he will be back in the cage mid or late summer,” Team Khabib’s manager stated in January.

Well, the surgery was successful, but it was unclear if Umar Nurmagomedov would be able to compete in the summer. Well, those doubts have been cleared now. His cousin, Khabib Nurmagomedov, recently shared an Instagram post, claiming, “It was busy week,” after a packed schedule came to an end. In that post, ‘The Eagle’ also shared a video of presumably Umar testing his hand’s grip strength as he recovers from surgery.

The picture got even clearer when reports from ‘Red Corner MMA’ revealed that ‘Young Eagle’ was also back in the mix at the Dagestani gym. The Russian media outlet shared a video from Nurmagomedov MMA School, where Umar was joined by his brother Usman Nurmagomedov and others who train in the wrestling school. It didn’t seem like the bantamweight star was going hard at training; it might just be his first training session after the UFC 311 fight, after all.

One important thing to note is that Umar Nurmagomedov’s injured hand looked like it was still taped up. It might also be a hand brace, so it looks like he’s still not a hundred percent just yet. This raises the question whether he could return in a few months, since his manager has claimed that summer is the timeline the 18-1 star is looking for.

But there is one small confusion surrounding Ali Abdelaziz‘s claim and what Umar Nurmagomedov wants. Recently, when he got offered a challenge from a former UFC champion, the 29-year-old appeared to lean towards the idea of a return in the latter months of 2025. Here’s what he had to say.

Umar Nurmagomedov wants to return in October, not in the summer

Petr Yan, 32, has his eyes locked on securing another shot at bantamweight gold. The former champion is on a healthy 2-fight winning streak, beating the likes of Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo, and now wants perhaps the most dangerous up-and-coming contender in Umar Nurmagomedov next for a title eliminator clash. “[UFC] let’s do it! Baku or Abu Dhabi. Let’s make it five rounds of sparks,” said ‘No Mercy’ on social media.

Well, Umar Nurmagomedov was surprised to have been called out by the former champion, but when it came to fighting him, he was down for a dance in October. Yes, that’s when UFC comes to Abu Dhabi: “Pleasantly surprised by the challenge. Forward – Abu Dhabi, October.” Petr Yan seemingly acknowledged that response, but still asked Dana White for a fight in July when UFC visits Azerbaijan.

This makes it unclear when Umar Nurmagomedov might return at his best. After all, he could find himself paired up with another contender for a title eliminator in his comeback fight. So, maybe he’ll be wise with his decision. What do you think? Drop your comments below.