Umar Nurmagomedov won a decision against Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 324, but felt the fight lacked engagement from his opponent, leaving his path to a title shot unclear.
Umar Nurmagomedov aimed to make a championship statement at UFC 324, but felt his opponent wasn’t playing along.
In Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena, Nurmagomedov (20-1) secured another victory with a decision win over Deiveson Figueiredo (25-6-1). Despite the win, it might not propel him closer to challenging bantamweight champion Petr Yan.
Nurmagomedov blames Figueiredo for the lackluster fight. “I expected it to be harder,” he said post-fight. “It was easier than sparring. Even Manel Kape gave me tougher rounds last month.”
Winning all three rounds, Nurmagomedov remains in the top 5. Yet, his path to another title shot is uncertain, especially after his first career loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311.
Adding to the confusion, Figueiredo’s pre-fight talk didn’t match his in-cage performance. “I don’t know why he changed his plan,” Nurmagomedov mused. “He’s a tough guy, but he wasn’t engaging.”
Nurmagomedov noted Figueiredo’s strength but questioned his conditioning. “Maybe he was scared to tire out. I don’t know.”
Ramadan will impact Nurmagomedov’s fight schedule, with no specific opponent in mind. Before the UFC 324 co-main event, he expressed willingness to face its winner, Sean O’Malley, or anyone else ranked.
“I just want to fight,” Nurmagomedov stated. “I won’t sit waiting for a chance. I’ll take it, fight for the title, and I want that.”