“From My Pocket”: Ali Abdelaziz Makes Bold Offer for Usman Nurmagomedov’s UFC Debut vs. Ilia Topuria

Ali Abdelaziz has a clear opponent in mind for Usman Nurmagomedov if the undefeated Lightweight makes the move to the UFC. The manager wants Nurmagomedov to face former UFC champion Ilia Topuria and said he would even use his own money to help make the fight happen.

Abdelaziz made the comments during an appearance on Submission Radio while discussing Nurmagomedov’s future after his PFL contract expired. The manager said the matchup with Topuria is the fight he would most like to see and that money would not stop him from trying to put it together.

“My dream fight, him versus Ilia Topuria. If the UFC wanna do that, I’ll pay the difference from my pocket. If it’s a million or something from my pocket, I will cover, I will cover Usman’s purse. I would love to see that.”

Nurmagomedov ended his PFL run in July with a first-round knockout of Archie Colgan at PFL New York. The win allowed him to retain the PFL lightweight championship and took his professional record to 22-0. It was also the final fight on his PFL contract, putting the 28-year-old in a position to consider his next move.

A move to the UFC would put Nurmagomedov in the same lightweight division as some of the biggest names in MMA. Ilia Topuria was the division’s champion earlier this year before Justin Gaethje stopped him at the end of the fourth round at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14. Gaethje became the undisputed lightweight champion with the victory.

Topuria’s loss was the first of his professional career and ended his short reign at 155 pounds. Before that, he had won the vacant UFC lightweight title by stopping Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 and had also held the UFC featherweight championship.

That history is part of what makes the proposed matchup so significant for Nurmagomedov. He would be moving from the PFL into the UFC without a single UFC fight, yet his first opponent could be a former champion who remains one of the division’s biggest names.

Ali Abdelaziz has also been open about how highly he rates his fighter. Nurmagomedov has won all 22 of his professional bouts, while his run in the PFL saw him become one of the promotion’s top Lightweight fighters after previously holding the Bellator Lightweight title.

For now, though, the fight is only an idea from Abdelaziz. Nurmagomedov still has to sort out his contractual situation before he can start negotiating with the UFC.

The 90-Day Contract Clause Delaying Usman Nurmagomedov’s UFC Debut

Nurmagomedov’s PFL contract ended with the Colgan fight, but he cannot immediately sit down with another promotion and negotiate a new deal. His agreement includes a 90-day period during which the PFL has the opportunity to negotiate and potentially match an offer before he can move forward elsewhere.

Nurmagomedov explained the situation while speaking to Red Corner MMA:

“There’s that 90-day rule. I can’t even negotiate with anyone except the PFL. I can’t even start talking to anyone. As soon as the negotiations with PFL are over and that 90-period expires, then we can start talking to other promotions. But as for now the negotiating process is going on, and I’m not legally allowed to get in touch with other promotions.”

The restriction has kept his next destination uncertain even though his PFL run is over. The promotion has made it clear that it would like to keep him, while Nurmagomedov has previously said that money and legacy will both play a role in deciding what comes next.

That financial side could be especially important because Usman Nurmagomedov was a champion in the PFL before reaching free agency. Abdelaziz’s willingness to cover as much as a million from his own pocket shows how strongly he wants the Topuria fight, but the actual negotiations will have to wait until the contractual window expires.

Nurmagomedov’s UFC debut, whenever it happens, will therefore depend on more than finding an opponent. His next deal has to be settled first, and only then can the proposed Topuria matchup move from Abdelaziz’s wish list to an actual negotiation.