Umar Nurmagomedov breaks silence on UFC future
On the back of his huge upset loss at UFC Shanghai, Umar Nurmagomedov has broken his silence.
Umar’s title aspirations in the UFC and standing within the bantamweight division took a huge hit last weekend when he was violently knocked out by Team Alpha Male’s Song Yadong. ‘King Fu Kid’ entered the bout as the heavy underdog, but proved too much for the Russian prodigy, capitalizing on a poorly timed takedown attempt to score the biggest win of his career. The win moves Yadong up to #3 in the rankings and likely sets him up for either a shot at Petr Yan’s belt next or a fight with serious title implications. But where does that leave Umar?
The defeat sees Umar Nurmagomedov barely holding on to his top-five spot in the weight class. Unfamiliar with the nature of losing, Team Nurmagomedov must now regroup and alter their strategy if Umar has any hope of launching a new charge toward the UFC title picture.
Using social media as a direct way to address the fans, the 30-year-old showed deep humility, urging fans not to feel sorry for him during the lows that combat sports often bring.
Umar made it clear that he will not sink into misery or hide away following the setback. Once his medical suspension is over, supporters can expect to see him back in the octagon, with his goal of becoming the UFC bantamweight champion still firmly in his mind. Sharing the vision for his return to the octagon, Umar said this:
“It’s not over until I win.”
While Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev both achieved the absolute pinnacle of the sport by capturing UFC gold at age 29, younger cousin Umar Nurmagomedov has fallen behind the expectations put on his shoulders.
Though Umar’s 31st birthday is fast approaching, his determination is strong, and the expectation that comes with being associated with those who came before him remains.