Usman Nurmagomedov will reportedly challenge Patricky Pitbull for the Bellator lightweight title
Usman Nurmagomedov is making a name for himself in Bellator. © Hans Gutknecht / Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images
Usman Nurmagomedov, 24, the younger cousin of undefeated former UFC champion Khabib, could be the next man carrying his famous last name to win a mixed martial arts world title after it was reported that he will challenge Brazil’s Patricky Pitbull for the Bellator lightweight title in November.
Much like his superstar cousin, Usman is also unbeaten in his still-developing mixed martial arts career (15-0) and has been flawless in his first four outings in the Bellator cage since he debuted with the organization in April of last year.
According to MMA Junkie, he has been handed a stern test if he is to become a world champion. The reigning champion Patricky Pitbull (24-10) has been a stalwart in Bellator, and can boast more than 20 fights for the group since his debut back in 2011, taking on the likes of Michael Chandler, Eddie Alvarez and Benson Henderson throughout that run.
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The Brazilian won the vacant world title last November when he stopped Conor McGregor teammate Peter Queally in the second round of their main event fight in Dublin. The win avenged a TKO win scored by the Irishman in their first fight the previous May.
The Bellator lightweight title had been vacated by Patricky’s younger brother (and reigning featherweight champion) Patricio several weeks prior.
Usman Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, will come into the fight on the back of three successive first round finishes – the most recent of which was a front choke victory against American fighter Chris Gonzalez.
His success in the Bellator cage is mirrored by another of Khabib’s cousins Umar, who also boasts an unbeaten 15-0 record – with his three most recent wins coming in the UFC.
Abubakar Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, is the only member his family to have experienced defeat in either the UFC or Bellator after the welterweight fighter was bested by David Zawada in his UFC debut in Moscow back in 2019.
The Nurmagomedov vs. Pitbull fight is scheduled to take place on November 18. No further details about the fight card have been released as of yet.
