“This is a dynasty”… Khabib Reacts to Usman Nurmagomedov’s Successful Lightweight Title Defense in Bellator and His Perfect 18-0 Record | HO 

Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, Umar Nurmagomedov and now Usman Nurmagomedov – the iconic team from Dagestan continue to prove why they are among the best combat sports athletes in the world.

Esto, después de que el invicto Usman Nurmagomedov se adjudicara la victoria en el evento principal de Bellator Champions Series: San Diego anoche con una actuación dominante sobre un duro Alexandr Shabliy.

Usman Nurmagomedov successfully defends Bellator lightweight title

Following his return from a six-month suspension, Usman Nurmagomedov put on the best performance of his career last night as he dominated his fellow Russian en route to a unanimous decision victory on the West Coast.

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“This guy is very tough,” Usman said of his opponent after the judges’ scorecards were revealed: “I think Alexandr Shabily is one of the best lightweights in the world right now, it was a very tough fight for me; all respect to him and his team, thank you.”

Con el favorito de los fans, AJ McKee, sentado junto a la jaula, se le preguntó a Usman qué quería a continuación, y su respuesta fue una exigencia bastante simple: “Quiero pelear en Dubai, quiero defender mi título en Dubai, denme esta oportunidad”.

If promoters want to stage that next fight, McKee will first have to get past Irish superstar Paul Hughes, as that fight takes place on October 19 in support of Francis Ngannou’s huge superfight against Renan Ferreira in Saudi Arabia.

Khabib Nurmagomedov reacciona a la victoria del título de Usman en San Diego

Hablando en la jaula después de que Usman Nurmagomedov asegurara su estatus como el campeón indiscutido de peso ligero de Bellator, el legendario Khabib Nurmagomedov ofreció sus pensamientos sobre la pelea y la actuación de su primo.

“First of all, I want to thank Shabily, he is a very, very tough opponent who has trained with us for like six or seven years, so we know he was a very tough opponent, but that’s why this was a very important fight for us.

“Sometimes when you’re 26 [years old] and you’re fighting someone who’s 32, you’re both in your prime [but 32 is a lot better than 26 and if you beat him, you jump to that different level.”

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Khabib had been unable to join Usman’s corner in his last few fights but was thankfully able to travel to San Diego to support his cousin this time around, although ‘The Eagle’ was so fired up during the fight that he nearly throttled fellow undefeated phenom Umar Nurmagomedov.

“I think Usman is one of the best lightweights in the world right now,” the iconic UFC fighter said, acknowledging that Usman simply represents the next era in the “dynasty” of the Nurmagomedov regime.

“I was before, now it is our brother Islam [Makhachev] and Usman is next. This is a dynasty. I think for many years people talked but they don’t understand why, [it’s] because we work so hard, we believe in Allah and we believe in ourselves.”

The Bellator MMA News team caught up with Khabib as he was leaving the arena, where he reaffirmed his claim that the now 18-0 champion is one of the best lightweights in the world, regardless of promotion.

“Tonight was an incredible night for us, for our entire team. Usman did an incredible job against a very good and experienced opponent. He showed the world why he is one of the best in the world.

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“And he’s still growing, he just turned 26, and I really think he’s going to have a great future. He’s already made history by winning and defending his title three times, but can you imagine [how good he could be] after five or six [more years]?”

The future looks to be incredibly bright for the young Nurmagomedov, and Khabib noted that as long as they can maintain discipline as he enters the next stage of his development, Usman has all the skills necessary to become a true, recognized legend in the sport of MMA.

“If this kid stays focused, he can put his name on one of the best lists [of all time], that’s what I think.”