Umar Nurmagomedov is determined to carry on the legacy of his family inside the Octagon. But when your cousin is Khabib Nurmagomedov, the bar isn’t just high—it’s practically unreachable. Umar is currently ranked no.2 in the bantamweight division and recently put in a spectacular performance against Cory Sandhagen at UFC on ABC 7, securing a unanimous decision win.

With an 18-0 record, the shadow of ‘The Eagle’s legendary undefeated streak looms over him. But is that even a realistic goal for Umar? In a recent interview, the bantamweight contender revealed that it’s not as simple as it sounds. Living up to the Nurmagomedov name isn’t just about winning. It’s about living up to an almost mythical standard!

Umar Nurmagomedov exposes the weight of The Eagle’s legacy

Umar Nurmagomedov was a guest on a recent episode of the ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo. Usman, the former welterweight king, asked the Dagestani fighter the million-dollar question, “Right now you are 18-0 and Khabib ended his career at 29-0, how big would that be for you and is that a goal for you to make it 30 and 0 and then say, all right, I’m done, I’m good?”

‘The Eagle’ had walked away from the sport in 2020 after defending his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. His reign of 1077 days atop the 155 lbs. division is the longest reign by a lightweight champion in UFC history so far. So, what does Umar think about possibly surpassing his cousin one day?

In an honest and revealing response, the undefeated bantamweight stated, “I think it’s going to be difficult to become too close…” He explained that when fans hear the name Nurmagomedov, they expect a show. Not just any fight, but domination as he shared, “And our wins, not bring to people same emotional because you know, Khabib was maul everyone.” And therein lies the problem.

Umar confessed, “…people to see Nurmagomedov will fight and they think we’re going to do same and when we win they say, ‘ahh, it’s like regular fighter, he just win this man and they didn’t know like….”

Kamaru Usman then added his own perspective to the situation. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ elaborated on the high expectations the fans might have but explained, “They feel like its an easy fight, like they don’t respect you, you feel like the fans don’t really respect all the work that you guys are doing.”

As Usman noted, “It’s the UFC—everyone’s tough.” Yet, despite the tough competition, some fans still underestimate Umar’s journey. But it’s not just the fans who have been doubting the Dagestani bantamweight’s championship caliber, as other prominent names in the division have also raised questions about him getting a shot at the belt!

Former flyweight champion wants Nurmagomedov to be “tested more” before title shot  

With Merab Dvalishvili taking the bantamweight crown from Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, the MMA sphere has been wondering, what’s next for the newly crowned champion? According to Deiveson Figueiredo, he should be the first in line despite being ranked no. 5 in the division behind Umar Nurmagomedov.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, the former flyweight champion explained his reasoning by sharing, “Umar just got here, he just had his first fight against a tough guy and I’m sure he has to get tested more, to fight someone else first — maybe (O’Malley).”

According to Figueiredo, he’s been tested in the fire, moving up in weight and taking on strong opponents without an easy fight in sight. Since moving up to 135 lbs, the Brazilian has won 3-straight fights and has indicated that he’d be willing to face ‘The Machine’ at UFC 310 in December if the champion is willing to put his title on the line.

For now, it remains to be seen who gets to take on Dvalishvili for the title.  But one thing is for certain, Umar Nurmagomedov is just getting started on his road to UFC glory. With an 18-0 record, the undefeated Dagestani has proven his worth, but the shadow of Khabib’s 29-0 legacy as a champion looms large. Will Umar chase the same perfection, or will he carve out his own legacy on his terms? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!