Usman Nurmagomedov did not hold back when sharing his opinion about Jake Paul. Nurmagomedov dismissed Paul as a legitimate fighter and even questioned his remarks as a promoter.
The Dagestani earned a 1st round knockout victory over Archie Colgan in the main event of PFL New York last night. He successfully retained his PFL lightweight championship and officially became a free agent. It was the final fight of his contract with the promotion, which led to plenty of speculation about his future.
Paul was in attendance and featured throughout last night’s broadcast after the major announcement regarding PFL and MVP MMA merging together. The YouTuber-turned-boxer was in the cage during Nurmagomedov’s post-fight interview, praising the Dagestani for his impressive win.
Among the remarks Paul made were comments directed at Justin Gaethje, claiming Nurmagomedov would easily defeat him. The reigning UFC lightweight champion was in Colgan’s corner, which further fueled speculation about a potential future bout.
Usman Nurmagomedov Doesn’t Mince Words About Jake Paul
Usman Nurmagomedov shared his honest thoughts on Jake Paul when asked during the post-event press conference.
“[Paul as] a promoter, he talks too much of course but as a fighter? He’s not a fighter,” Nurmagomedov told reporters. “He’s a YouTuber guy, he comes from YouTube. He has a lot of money, but fighter’s league is different. If you wanna see a fighter, come to my gym.”
Nurmagomedov also took exception to Paul’s remarks about Justin Gaethje. The PFL lightweight champion holds Gaethje in high regard and did not like how ‘The Problem Child’ disrespected him.
“When somebody doesn’t give the respect for Justin [Gaethje], this to be honest, this is not good. Justin Gaethje, he’s a legend,” Nurmagomedov said. “This guy, he’s ‘The Highlight,’ and he’s truly a highlight now. And I don’t know what’s going on with him [or] if I will fight against him.”
He continued:
“I just want to say I’m really happy that [Gaethje] is champion right now. And I wish all the best to Justin.”
Is Nurmagomedov UFC Bound?
Now that Nurmagomedov is a free agent, he could be poised to join the UFC. MVP MMA could offer him a lucrative contract. However, the Dagestani may be more interested in following in Islam Makhachev and his cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s footsteps.
Nurmagomedov, 28, is in the prime of his career. He is widely considered the top fighter outside the UFC. Now that he is a free agent, he can use the current MMA landscape as leverage.
Nurmagomedov, along with his team, has been open about Khabib’s father, Abdulmanap’s plans. He was a respected mentor who had a succession plan for ‘The Eagle,’ Makhachev, and Usman.
“When Abdulmanap was alive, he talked about how Khabib was going to become [UFC] champion, and when he moved away, Islam was going to become champion to show that it was not a mistake. After Islam, Usman was going to become champion. That is the legacy,” Nurmagomedov said during the PFL New York post-fight press conference.
Ultimately, Nurmagomedov will decide which promotion is the best fit for him at this stage of his career.
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