“But a little bit we did mistake, but experience (is what matters),” Islam Makhachev said backstage after his win at UFC 311. He was, of course, talking about his teammate Umar Nurmagomedov who tasted his first career defeat in the co-main event bout against Merab Dvalishvili. The lightweight champion also said that their coach/mentor Khabib was deeply upset and did not talk about the loss immediately after the fight. Well, we have a few suggestions for ‘The Eagle.’

We asked Open AI’s ChatGPT about the fighters that Nurmagomedov could go up against to regain his momentum toward the championship title. Let’s take a look at what the artificial intelligence had to suggest.

1. Petr Yan

After claiming the big win at UFC 311, the bantamweight champion will likely proceed to take on a fight against the #1 bantamweight contender, Sean O’Malley.  This could leave ‘Young Eagle’ with a match against Petr Yan. And after defeating Deiveson Figueiredo via a unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 248, his stance against Nurmagomedov became even stronger. The AI claimed that pitting Nurmagomedov against the #3 bantamweight contender would indeed be a compelling matchup. 

When it comes to mixed martial arts, Petr Yan can be considered a fighter’s true essence. He is prompt in Muay Thai, kickboxing, and boxing. With striking as his primary weapon, ‘No Mercy’ has secured 18 wins in his professional MMA career, 7 of which came from KO/TKO. But his grappling game is commendable, too. And that’s what pushed the AI to push for the matchup. It claimed, “Both fighters possess strong striking and grappling skills, making for an exciting contest.”

Of course, Umar Nurmagomedov’s stats look a bit better than Yan’s. But Yan had previously claimed that he could defeat the Dagestani. In an interview with Ushatayka, the former bantamweight champ said, “I don’t see anything special. Yes, he is strong, young, and he keeps winning fights, but call him special? No, I don’t think so. Four years ago, I was doing as great as he is now. I didn’t see any threat in any of them and was ready to fight three opponents on the same night.”

With the confidence he carried against Figueiredo, Yan could actually pose a great hurdle for the Russian. But defeating him could mean another title shot for the Dagestani contender.

2. Deiveson Figueiredo

ChatGPT then named Figueiredo as the next opponent for Nurmagomedov. It pointed out that the former flyweight champion experienced a successful transition from the flyweight division to the bantamweight realm. And a fight against ‘Young Eagle’ would test both of the fighters’ adaptability and skill sets. 

‘Deus Da Guerra’ has a professional MMA record of 24 wins and 4 defeats. On top of that, he has already secured wins over fighters like Rob Font, Marlon Vera, and Cory Sandhagen. But he certainly needs to redeem himself from the loss against Yan. A fight between Nurmagomedov and Figueiredo would indeed be the perfect chance for both fighters to redeem themselves and rise up to a title shot.

Just like the Dagestani, Figueiredo has a strong sense of grappling as well as striking. With his tremendous fight IQ, he can certainly give a tough competition to Nurmagomedov.

3. Henry Cejudo

Open AI’s ChatGPT finally named Henry Cejudo as the next opponent for Nurmagomedov. As per the artificial intelligence, the #6 bantamweight contender would be a high-profile matchup for the Dagestani to put him back in the title picture. The AI’s response read, “Facing Cejudo would offer Nurmagomedov a chance to showcase his abilities against one of the division’s most accomplished fighters.”

However, this matchup has a hurdle in the making. Cejudo has a pretty close relationship with the #2 bantamweight’s coach and cousin, Khabib Nurmagomedov. He is often seen praising the Dagestani teams and sparring with them, with nothing but respect in his mind. Owing to this, it’s unlikely that Nurmagomedov will accept a fight against ‘Triple C’.

But in case he does agree to the fight, Cejudo would pose a great danger to the Dagestani. After all, he’s an Olympic medalist and a former 2-division champion. He has high-caliber wrestling in his arsenal, which has the potential to submit ‘Young Eagle’. Needless to say, it would be one of the perfect matchups through which Nurmagomedov can redeem himself from his recent loss. 

But before he takes up another fight, Nurmagomedov needs some time off to heal from his broken hand. In the first round of their bout, ‘Young Eagle’ injured his hand, and despite the pain, he continued to battle with Merab Dvalishvili. Things could have ended differently, had there been no injury. But we’d see that when Nurmagomedov gets a rematch against ‘The Machine’.

What did you think of ‘Young Eagle’s performance at UFC 311? Do you think he can defeat Dvalishvili in a rematch? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.