Usman Nurmagomedov reportedly turned down $2 million per fight, according to Sportscape Magazine, which tied the decision directly to a move to the UFC that looks more real by the day.
The report gives us the headline number and not much else. There’s no word yet on who put the offer together, how many fights it covered, or whether anything else was attached. So treat it as a report, and keep one eye on the man’s own words, because he’s been giving plenty of those.
A free agent with a belt
Nurmagomedov is the PFL lightweight champion, and he fought out his contract this past August at PFL New York. He finished it in style, knocking out Archie Colgan in one round to keep his title. That made him a free agent, though with an asterisk. He’s still inside an exclusive negotiating period with the PFL, which means the UFC can’t approach him until that window closes.
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That hasn’t stopped him from planning his UFC career out loud. In an interview with Kamil Gadzhiev, covered by Bloody Elbow, the Dagestani made the case that he should be next in line for Tsarukyan if the Armenian ends up holding the 155-pound belt.
“Who would you match Arman against (if not me)? Who’s there for Arman in the UFC? Pimblett, no. Topuria, no,” Nurmagomedov said.
He didn’t stop there. His theory is that the UFC has never booked Ilia Topuria against Tsarukyan because it doesn’t like Topuria’s chances.
“If Topuria were a real option, they (UFC) would’ve matched them up a long time ago. If they gave him just a 30 percent chance of beating Arman they would do it,” he said, before adding: “Topuria is a cash cow.”
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Where the UFC title picture sits
Justin Gaethje holds the UFC lightweight championship after beating Topuria. If Gaethje decides to keep fighting instead of retiring on top, Tsarukyan is expected to get the next shot. Tsarukyan has been passed over before. Ahead of Topuria’s return this past summer, the UFC picked Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett to fight for the interim belt instead of him. Topuria, for his part, was matched with Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title in 2025.
So Nurmagomedov’s pitch goes like this. Gaethje fights again or walks away, Tsarukyan gets the belt somewhere along the line, and the UFC needs a fresh, credible challenger who hasn’t already been ruled out. He’s nominating himself.
The take
I like this. Two million a fight is serious money for a guy who hasn’t taken a single UFC fight yet, and saying no to it (if the report holds) is a bet that the bigger stage pays better and moves faster. He’s also doing something I wish more fighters did, which is answering questions straight and naming names, Topuria included, without hiding behind a manager. Whether a debut in the UFC comes with an immediate title shot is a separate argument, and the matchmakers will have their own opinion. None of that matters until the PFL’s exclusive window shuts, because until then the UFC isn’t allowed to dial his number.
