Usman Nurmagomedov: UFC powerful, but don’t always put on best fights

PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov had some choice words for the UFC’s top-ranked lightweights.

Nurmagomedov (22-0) is a free agent after retaining his belt with a first-round knockout out Archie Colgan at PFL New York last month. The 28-year-old is looking to either re-sign with the PFL or ink a deal with the UFC.

Nurmagomedov has beaten all of PFL’s top lightweights, including Paul Hughes twice. He disagrees with the notion that the best fighters are only in the UFC, and picked apart the current rankings and matchups that have taken place in the octagon.

“There’s a narrative that if you don’t compete in the UFC, you’re not on that high level, and I don’t agree with that,” Nurmagomedov told Sport24 (h/t Red Corner MMA). “Just look at the guys who are in the UFC top 10. They just keep fighting each other and maintain their top-10 spots. Benoit Saint Denis, he was 4-0 then lost to Dustin Poirier, then he lost to (Renato) Moicano, and won three times after that, and then lost in the first round within 30 seconds (vs. Pimblett), but he’s still in the top five, oddly enough.