Umar Nurmagomedov, a bantamweight contender in the UFC, has defended his record of pulling out of fights due to health issues and other circumstances, and expressed his eagerness to fight more frequently and face any opponent the UFC throws at him.
Umar Nurmagomedov wishes he could fight more often. But sometimes, it’s just not feasible.
At 28, this bantamweight contender finally got back in the ring after over a year. It was at UFC Vegas 87, where he triumphed over Bekzat Almakhan. He’d been sidelined from a bout against Cory Sandhagen in August.
Nurmagomedov hasn’t been in the ring much in the past 14 months, just twice. Critics say he’s not fighting enough to be considered one of the best 135-pound talents.
“Everybody talks about my pullouts,” Nurmagomedov said at his post-fight press conference. Sean O’Malley’s coach and some other guys, they’re always talking about it. He’s only pulled out twice due to health issues.
First time, he was sick. Really sick. His face was swollen, he couldn’t sleep, and he doesn’t remember a worse time in his life. He was supposed to fight Sergey Morozov, but he did fight him later.
The second time, it was his shoulder. He had surgery. He’s hoping to fight Cory Sandhagen again.
But people exaggerate. They say he pulled out eight times, but that’s not true.
Despite a flawless 17-0 record, Nurmagomedov has had some bad luck in his UFC title contention journey.
Injuries forced him to pull out of two fights. But people don’t acknowledge the other reasons for fight cancellations.
“I pull out two times,” Nurmagomedov said. He fought the same guy again, so he’s not scared. He just wants to fight.
Next up, Cory Sandhagen. He’s ready. If Sandhagen doesn’t want to, he’ll fight someone else. He doesn’t care.
Nurmagomedov admits that his rigorous training schedule can take a toll on his body. But that’s just part of the sport.
He trains all year round. It’s hard on the body, but he’s always ready to compete.
“I’m doing a hard job,” Nurmagomedov said. He keeps working, even when he’s injured.
He’s not a robot. He can break too. That’s why he wants to fight every three months. He wants to stay active.
As for his standing in the division, Nurmagomedov isn’t scared of anyone. He’s confident he can beat anyone at 135 pounds.
“I’m talking because I know what job I did,” Nurmagomedov said. He’s serious about beating Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen.
It’s not cockiness. He’s got a great team. Four of them are lightweight division champions.
Now that he’s healthy, Nurmagomedov wants to book his next fight. He’s planning to train through Ramadan and hopes to fight at UFC 303 on June 29.
“[UFC] said we have a date [International Fight Week] with Cory Sandhagen,” Nurmagomedov said. He thinks it’s going to happen.