Dana White, the UFC's chief, showed clear interest in Usman Nurmagomedov during a post-fight press conference in Serbia. He smiled broadly while responding to a question about whether he'd be open to signing the undefeated 22-0 fighter. The question came after Nurmagomedov secured his release from the PFL by defeating Archie Colgan in the main event of PFL New York.
White gave a straightforward 'sure' to the idea of signing Nurmagomedov, and later shared a smiling emoji on X when commenting on the response to a fan clip of his answer. This reaction suggested a willingness to explore what's next for the rising star, who expressed similar openness after his final PFL fight. Nurmagomedov is officially the biggest free agent in combat sports following his recent win, and there's little doubt the UFC will make a serious push to sign him, especially considering the promotion's ties to his family.
Nurmagomedov, who won the inaugural PFL lightweight title in late 2025, has remained undefeated despite moving between promotions. He added to his legacy by defending that belt twice. White has previously expressed interest in bringing top fighters to the UFC, and Nurmagomedov’s name has often been floated as a future prospect. The Nurmagomedov family’s ties to the UFC grew stronger when Umar Nurmagomedov joined the promotion. Currently, Nurmagomedov's longtime teammate and training partner Islam Makhachev is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC while his younger brother Umar Nurmagomedov is a top-ranked bantamweight. Add to that, UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov serves as his cousin's head coach and has already declared Usman as the best lightweight in the world outside of the UFC. On Instagram, Khabib made a post praising his cousin Usman and the skills he continues to display in all of his fights. Khabib also said negotiations will be held next month, with an expected answer soon on Usman's future. Re-signing with the PFL is also a possibility amid its merger with Most Valuable Promotions, with PFL CEO John Martin and MVP co-founder Jake Paul publicly expressing their desire to retain the undefeated lightweight champion.
Khabib further elaborated on Usman’s potential next steps in an Instagram post. 'Usman has shown and proven over the last couple of years that he is the best lightweight outside the UFC,' Khabib wrote. 'Not with words, but with his performances. When I said in 2020 that Islam was the best at that time, there were many people who disagreed. Believe me guys, there are levels to this game. You will see for yourselves what happens next. There will be negotiations over the next month, and very soon you will find out for yourselves which league he will continue competing in.'
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