Dana White says the UFC will open talks with Usman Nurmagomedov once he is free to negotiate; no talks or deal are confirmed, and the PFL still holds a matching window.
From 3 reports by 3 outlets
What we know
- Dana White said the UFC will start talking to Usman Nurmagomedov when his contract is up and he can negotiate.
- White said he did not know where Nurmagomedov stands on his contract and did not confirm that talks are under way.
- Nurmagomedov's last PFL fight was a July win over Archie Colgan at PFL New York.
Reported, not confirmed
-
The PFL reportedly holds a roughly 90-day exclusive negotiating window to try to keep Nurmagomedov before other promotions can make offers.
Yardbarker MMA
-
Nurmagomedov reportedly turned down a $2 million-per-fight PFL offer, and negotiations with the PFL are reportedly still ongoing.
Yardbarker MMA
-
The UFC is expected to be allowed to talk to Nurmagomedov in about a week, according to Heavy on UFC.
Heavy on UFC
The UFC is waiting on a calendar, not a decision. Dana White said the promotion will start talking to Usman Nurmagomedov as soon as the lightweight is free to negotiate, but he stopped short of saying any conversation has happened.
White was asked at the UFC 333 post-fight press conference in Abu Dhabi. He said he did not know where Nurmagomedov is on his contract, and that he had made the same point a couple of days earlier. According to Heavy on UFC, Nurmagomedov was sitting front row at the event.
The holdup is the PFL's exclusive window. Nurmagomedov's last fight on his PFL deal was a July win over Archie Colgan at PFL New York. Reports describe a roughly 90-day period in which the PFL can try to re-sign him before other promotions can make offers. Heavy on UFC says that period is close to ending, and that the UFC could be allowed to talk to him in about a week. Yardbarker MMA adds that he reportedly turned down a $2 million-per-fight PFL offer and that talks with the PFL are reportedly still going.
The case for the UFC is easy to make. Nurmagomedov is 28 and, as Heavy on UFC states, 22-0 with one no contest. He won the Bellator lightweight title in 2022 and later became PFL champion. According to Pos-Luta, he defended that belt in February 2026 at PFL Dubai with a third-round submission of Alfie Davis. He is the brother of UFC bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov and a cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov, the former UFC lightweight champion.
Heavy on UFC expects that he would debut against a top lightweight rather than get an immediate title shot, and that a debut would come in 2027 if he signs. That is the outlet's projection, not an announced plan.
What to watch for next is whether the window passes without a PFL deal, and whether White's comments turn into an actual offer. Nurmagomedov has not said where he will fight next.
White was asked at the UFC 333 post-fight press conference in Abu Dhabi. He said he did not know where Nurmagomedov is on his contract, and that he had made the same point a couple of days earlier. According to Heavy on UFC, Nurmagomedov was sitting front row at the event.
The holdup is the PFL's exclusive window. Nurmagomedov's last fight on his PFL deal was a July win over Archie Colgan at PFL New York. Reports describe a roughly 90-day period in which the PFL can try to re-sign him before other promotions can make offers. Heavy on UFC says that period is close to ending, and that the UFC could be allowed to talk to him in about a week. Yardbarker MMA adds that he reportedly turned down a $2 million-per-fight PFL offer and that talks with the PFL are reportedly still going.
The case for the UFC is easy to make. Nurmagomedov is 28 and, as Heavy on UFC states, 22-0 with one no contest. He won the Bellator lightweight title in 2022 and later became PFL champion. According to Pos-Luta, he defended that belt in February 2026 at PFL Dubai with a third-round submission of Alfie Davis. He is the brother of UFC bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov and a cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov, the former UFC lightweight champion.
Heavy on UFC expects that he would debut against a top lightweight rather than get an immediate title shot, and that a debut would come in 2027 if he signs. That is the outlet's projection, not an announced plan.
What to watch for next is whether the window passes without a PFL deal, and whether White's comments turn into an actual offer. Nurmagomedov has not said where he will fight next.
- Summary
- Dana White says the UFC will open talks with Usman Nurmagomedov once he is free to negotiate; no talks or deal are confirmed, and the PFL still holds a matching window.
- Key points (one per line)
- Dana White said the UFC will talk to Usman Nurmagomedov when his PFL contract is up and he can negotiate.
White said he did not know where Nurmagomedov stands on his contract and did not confirm talks.
The PFL reportedly holds a roughly 90-day exclusive window to try to keep him.
- Also reported by (Name | URL per line)
- Yardbarker MMA | https://www.yardbarker.com/mma/articles/dana_white_gives_green_signal_to_usman_nurmagomedovs_ufc_entry_after_pfl_contract_expires/s1_17730_44469801
Heavy on UFC | https://heavy.com/sports/ufc/dana-white-latest-update-usman-nurmagomedov/
Pos-Luta | https://posluta.com/ufc-abre-caminho-para-usman-nurmagomedov-apos-o-fim-do-contrato-com-a-pfl/
Last edited:
Fan poll
Will Usman Nurmagomedov end up signing with the UFC?
Watch
More video
Press conferences
Dana White Post-Fight Press Conference | UFC 333
Fighters in this story
Usman Nurmagomedov
Khabib NurmagomedovMore photos
Sources
Pos-LutaSummarized with AI from the sources above. Read the originals for the full story.
Is this story accurate?
Updated
This story just changed.