Undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov can have his UFC Corridor of Fame member of the family, Khabib Nurmagomedov in his nook this weekend.
At UFC on ABC 7, which takes place at Etihad Enviornment in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, Umar (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) confirmed to MMA Junkie that he’ll as soon as once more have his cousin Khabib readily available to assist information him to victory in the principle occasion in opposition to former interim title challenger Cory Sandhagen.
It’s an enormous battle within the UFC’s 135-pound division.
Umar, at present No. 13 within the USA TODAY Sports activities/MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings and No. 10 within the UFC’s promotional rankings, mentioned he was promised a title shot with a victory. Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) at present sits at No. 6 and a couple of, respectively.
In a battle with such excessive stakes, it’s necessary for Umar to have his greatest staff obtainable, together with Khabib, who was final in his nook at UFC 272 in March 2022 in a first-round submission victory over Brian Kelleher.
“It is going to be Usman (Nurmagomedov), Shamil Zavurov, Javier (Mendez), and Khabib,” Umar advised MMA Junkie.
By means of 5 UFC bouts, Umar has been a dominant drive at bantamweight. He has completed Kelleher, Sergey Morozov and Raoni Barcelos, whereas selecting up selections over Nate Maness and Bakzat Almakhan.
Khabib final appeared as a cornerman at UFC 302. He was a part of the teaching staff for Islam Makhachev, who defeated Dustin Poirier to retain the light-weight title. It was a return to the scene for “The Eagle” after signaling he was taking time away from the game utterly after handing over a 2022 Coach of the 12 months marketing campaign with Mendez.
He returns to be in his cousin’s nook to assist him navigate his strategy to victory in opposition to a savvy Sandhagen, who as soon as fought for the vacant interim bantamweight title, however got here up quick in opposition to former champ Petr Yan.
The bantamweight title is about to be defended at Noche UFC at Sphere in Las Vegas on Sept. 14 when champ Sean O’Malley meets Merab Dvalishvili.
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