Usman Nurmagomedov believes a future showdown with Arman Tsarukyan is "almost inevitable" after revealing he has envisioned the matchup for years.
The undefeated PFL lightweight champion (21-0), who is set to defend his title against Archie Colgan at PFL New York next month, reflected on when he first took notice of Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) during a recent interview with Adam Zubaraev.
Tsarukyan made his UFC debut against Usman's teammate, Islam Makhachev, in April 2019. Although the Armenian dropped a unanimous decision, his performance left a lasting impression on Nurmagomedov.
"I think it's almost inevitable," Nurmagomedov said of a potential fight with Tsarukyan. "Back in 2020, it was either the first or second event ever in Abu Dhabi. Umar (Nurmagomedov), Tagir (Ulanbekov) and Islam were scheduled to fight there. We were in Moscow, Uncle Abdulmanap was in hospital then."
Nurmagomedov recalled that the moment came on the day Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, the legendary coach and father of Khabib Nurmagomedov, passed away.
"It was actually that day when Uncle Manap passed away, about two or three hours before," he said. "We were in an elevator with Umar and I spotted Arman."
The encounter sparked an immediate thought that has stayed with him ever since.
"I was like, 'Is that the guy who fought Islam?'... that was five or six years ago, and he said, 'Yes.' Then I said, 'One day I'll fight him.' I was thinking about that even back then."
While Nurmagomedov's immediate focus remains on Colgan in what will be the final fight on his current PFL contract, he believes a meeting with Tsarukyan could eventually become a reality.
"In my opinion, one day we'll cross paths," Nurmagomedov said. "It may happen, and the chances are high."
The 27-year-old emphasized that his interest in facing Tsarukyan comes from sporting respect rather than personal animosity.
"It's solely about the sport," he said. "I like him as a fighter. He's very well-rounded, he can strike, he can wrestle and he always fights to the end, so it's purely about the sport."
