Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley has shared his vision for Usman Nurmagomedov’s eventual debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Nurmagomedov is currently facing a six-month prison sentence stemming from a gang attack involving Merab Dvalishvili at an Abu Dhabi hotel, but the promotion is still anticipated to sign him upon his release.
Sean O’Malley Suggests Usman Nurmagomedov Fights Ilia Topuria
During an appearance on his YouTube channel, O’Malley proposed that Nurmagomedov should face former UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria in his first promotional bout.
According to sports.yahoo.com reporting on statements made via MMAjunkie.com, O’Malley described the potential matchup as an intense challenge for both athletes. “Does this set up a fight between Ilia Topuria and Usman Nurmagomedov? That’s a crazy fight. That’s a crazy, hard fight for Ilia to bounce back from. It’s an insane fight for Usman to jump into the UFC pool. It is a fight that I want to see. I mean, Ilia vs. Paddy (Pimblett) is up there, Ilia vs. Usman is up there. These are huge, massive, insane numbered main events that don’t have any titles on the line. … I think Usman vs. Ilia makes sense. That’s the fight to make. That would be a crazy fight. Ilia’s big, but he’s not tall. He’s 5-6, Usman’s probably 6-1. it would be a tough fight for both guys. It would be an interesting fight. The storyline’s there,” O’Malley stated.
Will the UFC Book This Fight?
A pairing between Nurmagomedov and Topuria carries significant narrative weight due to existing animosity between the two fighters, particularly following the assault on Dvalishvili, who maintains a close friendship with Topuria.
Despite the compelling backstory, Topuria is widely expected to face Paddy Pimblett next, given that this matchup has been heavily teased for months and aligns more closely with divisional rankings.
Nevertheless, the commercial nature of the promotion leaves open the possibility that Nurmagomedov could secure a marquee name immediately upon signing his first contract.
