Ali Usman: PFL Free Agency Opens for Usman Nurmagomedov
Ali Abdelaziz says PFL had a chance to extend Usman Nurmagomedov before his latest fight, and now other promotions can talk to the unbeaten lightweight…
Ali Usman is now part of the conversation around Usman Nurmagomedov’s next move after PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov completed the final fight of his contract with a first-round knockout of Archie Colgan in New York. Ali Abdelaziz, who manages Nurmagomedov, said PFL had the chance to make an offer before the bout and chose not to.
The result leaves one of MMA’s hottest free agents on the market. Abdelaziz said he will first speak with PFL, then look at other options for Nurmagomedov, who improved to 22-0 after the win at UBS Arena in Elmont.
PFL had its chance before the fight
Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie that PFL could have signed Nurmagomedov before he stepped into the cage. “Listen, the truth of the matter is PFL had an opportunity to sign him before the fight,” Abdelaziz said.
He added that he had already put a number on the table for an extension. “It was a number on the table for them for Usman to extend the contract, but the number I thought was a fair number, and they choose not to,” he said.
That decision matters now because Nurmagomedov took on the risk anyway. “Usman took a risk. He could have went out there and lost. Archie could have beat him. He took a risk. He gambled on himself, and he won,” Abdelaziz said.
What happens next for Nurmagomedov
Abdelaziz said he will handle the talks carefully. He plans to speak with PFL first because, in his words, they gave Nurmagomedov an opportunity. After that, he said he will talk to other people too.
“Of course, I'm going to talk with them first because they give him the opportunity, and I'm a very loyal guy, and I think Khabib feels the same way,” Abdelaziz said. “I need to talk with them, but I'm going to talk to other people, too, and they know I'm going to talk to other people.”
He framed the next step as a search for the best fit. “Whatever makes sense for Usman, we're going to do,” he said.
PFL’s future role is now uncertain, even if Abdelaziz praised the promotion’s work with the fighter. He said PFL “did an amazing job with him,” but the manager also made clear that the next contract discussion will not stay in one lane.
That puts pressure on the promotion to respond quickly if it wants to keep one of its top names. Nurmagomedov is unbeaten at 22-0, and after Friday’s knockout, he is no longer tied down once the contract ends.
Abdelaziz also pointed to the wider business picture, saying the merger has not changed the basics for fighters. “I know they merged with the other merger, but nothing changed because they merged. Everything's still the same. PFL is still PFL,” he said.
For rival promotions, that means the window has opened. For PFL, it means the decision to pass before the fight now looks more expensive, because the champion won, kept his record perfect, and walked straight into free agency with momentum.
When asked about the UFC’s interest, Abdelaziz’s comments suggested the next round of talks could stretch beyond one promotion and one offer.
