Watch: Khabib Nurmagomedov Damages Usman’s Nose During Training
Khabib Nurmagomedov may not compete anymore, but that doesn’t stop him from doing damage on the mats.
After retiring as the undefeated UFC lightweight world champion in 2020, ‘The Eagle’ has established himself as one of the top coaches in mixed martial arts, paving the way for proteges like Islam Makhachev and his cousin, Usman Nurmagomedov, to claim gold for themselves.
While Makhachev looks to etch his name in the history books this Saturday at UFC 322, Usman recently traded in his Bellator lightweight title for a PFL belt, defeating Paul Hughes in one of the promotion’s most anticipated rematches to date.
Things went swimmingly for Usman on that night, but the 27-year-old Dagestani appeared to suffer an injury while doing some grappling with Khabib recently. Check out the video clip below, courtesy of Red Corner MMA:
It’s unclear how severe the injury Usman sustained during the exchange. Fortunately, he’s not expected back inside the PFL Smart Cage until sometime in 2026.
As for Khabib’s other protege, Islam Makhachev, he’ll step back inside the Octagon in NYC with two-division glory on his mind. After dominating the lightweight division, the Dagestani Destroyer’ seeks to conquer another weight class when he moves up to welterweight, challenging reigning 170-pound king Jack Della Maddalena.
