It will be laborious to attract up a extra important begin to the 12 months than what Usman Nurmagomedov and his teammates have lined as much as start 2025.
The Dagestan takeover in MMA might attain its peak this month with Nurmagomedov (18-0) set to place his Bellator light-weight title on the road towards Paul Hughes (13-0) at Street to Dubai on Jan. 25, only one week after his brother, Umar, challenges Merab Dvalishvili for the UFC bantamweight title within the UFC 311 co-main occasion on Jan. 18, and Islam Makhachev places his 155-pound strap on the road towards Arman Tsarukyan within the headliner of the identical card in Inglewood, Calif.
Scheduling for the respective championship has splintered coaching camps among the many workforce. Khabib Nurmagomedov has headed the ship for Umar and Makhachev stateside in Las Vegas, whereas Usman remained at dwelling in Dagestan. He thought-about becoming a member of his workforce within the U.S. for a portion of his coaching camp, however in the end logistics dominated it out.
“It’s not an excessive amount of journey,” Nurmagomedov instructed MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “I had a little bit drawback with my VISA. I obtained it, however I obtained it a little bit late, in order that’s why I made the choice to not go to America. If I am going there for 10 days, I’ll have jet lag then come again and have jet lag. I don’t wish to lose a while. I simply made the choice to remain in Dagestan as a result of in Dagestan we’ve got quite a lot of warriors, too, the place I can work. In order that’s why I stayed in Dagestan and did the entire camp right here.
“Truthfully, sure, for me it’s a little bit laborious. I wish to be there with Umar for his struggle, first time for him preventing for a title. However any time it doesn’t matter. For me, it’s an important that these guys will win. That’s what’s most essential. Different issues, this doesn’t matter.”
Usman stated his expectation is for Umar and Makhachev to complete their respective opponents to go away UFC 311 with gold, then be part of him in Dubai as a part of his nook workforce towards Hughes.
It’s going to be agonizing for Usman to observe every part play out at UFC 311 from the opposite facet of the globe, and he admits he’s extra on edge and invested within the outcomes for his older brother, Makhachev and one other teammate in Tagir Ulanbekov than his personal contest.
“Truthfully, I’m extra nervous about these guys preventing than my very own,” Nurmagomedov stated. “My fights, I don’t care even. I do know what I can do, and I do know my abilities. I simply must go within the cage and referee will say, ‘Let’s begin guys.’ I really like this. I’m extra burdened and extra nervous about Umar, about Islam, about Tagir and these guys. However with these guys, Khabib is there. Even when Khabib wasn’t there, it’s as a result of I really like these guys a lot. That’s why I’m nervous. They’ll win, I consider.”
If all goes in line with plan, the Nurmagomedov workforce will boast a high-level slate of champions by the tip of the month: Usman in Bellator, Umar and Makhachev within the UFC, and likewise 2024 PFL light-weight champion Gadzhi Rabadanov.
It’s a dream situation, Usman stated, and he absolutely expects issues to return to fruition.
“Are you able to think about if we are going to start this 12 months with two UFC champions, one PFL champion, one Bellator champion?” Nurmagomedov stated. “Phew. That is loopy.”
For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for Bellator Champions Collection: Street to Dubai.
Make sure you go to the MMA Junkie Instagram web page and YouTube channel to debate this and extra content material with followers of combined martial arts.
