Khabib Nurmagomedov has used Umar Nurmagomedov’s latest win to push his cousin straight back into the heart of the bantamweight title conversation, while Umar himself is keeping his public stance measured on when a second crack at gold might come.
Will Umar Nurmagomedov Get a Title Shot in 2026? Khabib Says He’s Ready, but UFC May Want One More Fight
After Umar’s unanimous decision victory over former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 324 in Perth, Khabib posted a detailed message on Instagram, praising his cousin for logging two fights in three months and signalling that their team wants a quick return. The former lightweight champion wrote that “whether they give us the belt or not, it doesn’t matter, we are ready to fight in May or June,” and framed the recent run as only the beginning for Umar.
Khabib also used the post to pivot attention to another member of the family. He “passed the baton” to Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov, who is scheduled to defend his title on February 7 in Dubai as part of the Bellator Champions Series, saying the team is already “waiting” for Usman’s next win. That line reinforced Khabib’s role as an organiser of careers as much as a coach across the Nurmagomedov stable.
Inside the cage at UFC 324, Umar relied on his wrestling and top control to neutralise Figueiredo, who came in heavy at 138.5 pounds to turn the bout into a catchweight contest. The decision pushed Umar’s professional record to 20‑1, with independent rankings showing him at 19‑1 entering 2026 before the Perth result, and holding a top‑four bantamweight position globally. It also marked his second win since a five‑round title-fight loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311, a bout later listed among 2025’s best fights.
Despite Khabib’s assertive tone, Umar has tried to cool talk of an immediate shot at Petr Yan’s title. Speaking to reporters during fight week, he said he did not expect the UFC to offer him a championship bout straight after defeating Figueiredo, and was prepared to compete again as many times as needed before a 2026 title opportunity. Umar floated the idea of headlining an event in Abu Dhabi against Song Yadong or Sean O’Malley, depending how the promotion books Yan’s expected defence against Dvalishvili and O’Malley’s own push for another crack at the belt.
That stance fits with comments he has made since the Dvalishvili loss, where he stressed the need to return quickly, collect wins and let the matchmaking play out instead of campaigning aggressively in public. At the same time, Khabib has been consistent in arguing that Umar’s style and ranking already justify a title fight, stressing after earlier main‑event wins that his cousin is “ready” for the division’s elite.