Usman Nurmagomedov’s future remains uncertain following his latest PFL victory, with his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, revealing that the lightweight champion must wait 90 days before negotiations can begin with other organizations.
Nurmagomedov (22-0) recently knocked out Archie Colgan at PFL New York, successfully defending his lightweight title in what was the final fight of his contract with the promotion.
Despite completing his contractual obligations, Nurmagomedov will not immediately be free to explore his options elsewhere. According to Abdelaziz, the contract includes a 90-day matching period with the PFL, meaning the promotion has an opportunity to match any potential offer before Nurmagomedov and his team can seriously consider opportunities outside the organization.
Speaking to Adam Zubayraev this week, Abdelaziz said the team will wait until that period expires before discussing potential deals with other promotions, including the UFC.
“I don't know yet. I don't know. We have to talk with everybody. We have a deal with them (the PFL) for 90 days. We have to speak with them. And after the 90 days, I'm going to speak with UFC and I'm going to speak to everybody,” Abdelaziz said.
The manager emphasized that exploring every available option is part of his responsibility, but the final decision will ultimately be made collectively by Nurmagomedov, his coach and mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov, and the rest of their team.
“It's my job to speak with everybody. And after that, I come back to the team and talk with Khabib and Usman. And they'll make a decision,” Abdelaziz explained.
Khabib will have a particularly important role in determining what comes next for Usman, with Abdelaziz describing him as the “team captain” and Usman’s older brother.
“At the end of the day, Khabib is the team captain and he, Usman, is older brother. And they have this relationship. We're all going to sit down and talk as brothers,” he said.
For now, Abdelaziz believes Nurmagomedov should simply enjoy the latest accomplishment before turning his attention to the next stage of his career.
“And the best decision, we're all going to agree to and just go forward. For now, it's like he needs to enjoy his victory. He needs to enjoy his time. And we'll go from there.”
