Superiority over Chimaev and comparison with Jones

In the world of mixed martial arts, bright athletes regularly appear who can become new UFC stars in the future. Recently, one of the most talked about was the Chechen Khamzat Chimayev, currently representing Sweden. The athlete not only won two victories in 10 days and entered the history of the Absolute Fighting Championship, but also challenged Conor McGregor himself. Many rushed to proclaim him as an improved version of Khabib Nurmagomedov outright, but the famous manager Ali Abdel-Aziz has a different opinion on this matter.

According to a spokesman for Orel, his clients include ten fighters comparable in level to Chimayev. At the same time, Abdel-Aziz advised to pay special attention to the cousin of the UFC lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov, in whom he sees the continuer of the traditions of his famous relative.

“He's incredibly cool. Muay thai specialist and brother of Khabib, do you understand? If you are of the same blood with Khabib, you are good at wrestling. I'm telling you, he is actually an improved version of Khabib. He is better. He's worth watching. He has striking technique, grappling, jiu-jitsu, he looks great and holds himself confidently, "- quotes Abdel-Aziz BJPenn.com

The manager also called Usman a combination of Khabib, John Jones and Israel Adesanya and admired his ability to knock out opponents. In particular, he highlighted his elbow work, which has brought success in recent duels.

Perfect record

Until recently, the name of Usman Nurmagomedov sounded exclusively in the context of his star brother. So, Khabib has repeatedly posted photos from joint training, which fueled interest in his figure. But with his performances in the octagon, Usman did not manage to attract attention for a long time. Of course, the reason for this was not the largest venues and the relatively low level of opposition. Until November 2019, he had never met with opponents who had at least three times more victories than defeats. The first of these was Ukrainian Roman Golovinov (9-3), followed by his compatriot Ruslan Tuyakov (4-0).

Nevertheless, the public's attention to Usman was attracted by his triumph in the battle with the jornimen Jerry Kvarnström. At the time of the fight, the Finn had 15 victories with 14 defeats and, as expected, could not compete with the young talent. Fans were impressed by the ease with which he crushed the 39-year-old fighter. At first, he left him no chances in the standing position, after which he finished off on the ground, extending the unbeaten run to ten fights.

In this regard, there are similarities between Habib and Uthman. Like his older brother, he does not force his transition to a high level and is systematically going towards signing a contract with the largest MMA promotion on the planet. Suffice it to recall that at one time the Eagle acted in a similar way. For more than three years, he was tempered in regional organizations, and only after 16 successful battles he decided to try himself at the highest level.

According to Khabib, Usman's debut in the UFC should take place before the end of 2021. Meanwhile, the fighter has already expressed his intention to hold another fight in the fall.

"Thank you all for your congratulations. A psychologically difficult fight for me due to the recent events. Within a month, I was offered nine different rivals, and each had problems with relegation. My next fight will take place in September at the GFC tournament. I really hope for a strong and strong opponent, I believe that I am ready for big challenges, ”Usman wrote on Instagram.

Bright style

Abdel-Aziz rightly noted that Usman has an advantage over his brother, which can allow him to gain popularity. In the world of mixed martial arts, bright punchers have always been more revered, which can play into his hands. The same Khabib was very often criticized for not the most spectacular manner and attempts to "lie down" on the counter in the ground. While Nurmagomedov Jr. gives the impression of an athlete who relies on striking technique, and uses takedowns as an excuse to apply ground and pound.

Especially worth noting is Usman's Muay Thai skills. Like his brother, he actively works in the clinch, but uses it not to transfer to the ground, but to deliver punches with knees and elbows. This is what helped him knock out Tuyakov. In the confrontation with Golovinov, he took over with the help of boxing, breaking into close range in a split second. Also, one cannot fail to note his ability to change stances, which makes him more unpredictable for opponents.

Of course, it's too early to compare him with Jones and Adesanya, but Israel really flashed only in 2018. Then he was already 29 years old. Nurmagomedov Jr. is only 22 years old, as a result of which his potential seems limitless.

Training in Mendes and working with Abdel-Aziz

The fact that he plays in one of the strongest teams in the world can be considered the key to the future progress of Usman. Like Khabib, he trains under the guidance of the legendary Javier Mendes. Suffice it to say that the head of the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) was instrumental in the rise of MMA stars such as Daniel Cormier, Kane Velasquez and Luke Rockhold, each of whom have won UFC titles.

Of course, the opportunity to train alongside the strongest fighters on the planet will benefit Usman and will allow him to progress at double speed. And the presence of Abdel-Aziz nearby will certainly contribute to his popularity. Despite all the ambiguity, the manager made Khabib a superstar, and now he may well knock out a title shot for Magomedsharipov. Hardly anyone doubts that it is his newly-made representative in the person of Ali who is behind Zabit's trash-current.

And the fact that Abdel-Aziz has already begun to spin Usman speaks of serious bets on the fighter. Khabib himself admitted that he had serious plans for his cousin, and now Ali was imbued with his confidence. In this case, you can be almost sure that the athlete will have at least the opportunity to prove himself in the largest MMA promotion in the world.

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Publication from Usman Nurmagomedov (@usman_nurmagomedov) 15 Nov 2019 at 8:36 PST

Performance under the flag of Saudi Arabia and victory in the Czech Republic in MMA

Like many Dagestani fighters, Usman Nurmagomedov is popular in the Middle East, so he often speaks at local events. Over the past two years, he has fought twice in the UAE Warriors tournament in the United Arab Emirates, and won his third victory in Saudi Arabia. It is noteworthy that he went to the battle in Jeddah under the flag of the host country of the show, which misled many. At the same time, during the announcement, he was introduced as a fighter from Russia.

Usman's career as a professional was preceded by his performances in amateurs. So, Nurmagomedov Jr. competed at the 2017 Russian championship among juniors aged 18 to 20 and won gold in the featherweight division.