Athletes
Umar Nurmagomedov Is Coming Back Stronger Than Ever
After Suffering His First Professional Loss, Umar Nurmagomedov Is Hopeful He Can Earn Another Title Shot With A Win At UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane
As Umar Nurmagomedov waited for Bruce Buffer to read the judges’ scorecards from his title fight against bantamweight king Merab Dvalishvili, he knew he hadn’t done enough to unseat the increasingly dominant champion. His cousin and coach, UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, went over to him and had a simple message:
“We’re going to come back.”
“Cousin Umar” suffered his first professional loss at UFC 311 and faced a longer layoff than he had hoped due to a broken hand suffered midway through the fight, but there wasn’t any wallowing from the 29-year-old. Instead, he spent his recovery time living life, attending a Real Madrid match and biding his time until he could get back to training. Once he did, it was right back to the grind on the path to realize a UFC title, this time with important lessons in tow.
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“What I learned [is] I have to come back stronger,” Nurmagomedov told UFC.com. “In the fight, what happened, I can’t control. When something broke, it’s not like I can fix it in that moment. Life is life, and I can’t give up. Even in the fight, I feel this pain. I can’t open my hand. Even with it broken, I keep fighting. I keep punching. I was not contemplating, crying about what happened. I’m going to come back stronger, and I will take this belt.”
He performed well enough against Dvalishvili to warrant some shouts for an immediate rematch, but his injury quieted those discussions rather quickly. In the meantime, “The Machine” chugged along, defending his belt twice more against Sean O’Malley and Cory Sandhagen, and booking a potential fourth defense against Petr Yan at UFC 323. Arguably, Nurmagomedov performed the best between Dvalishvili’s three foes in 2025, but with activity top-of-mind, Nurmagomedov is happy to face the surging Mario Bautista at UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane.
Nurmagomedov thinks highly of Bautista, complimenting his striking and movement in particular. The American rides into the fight on an 8-fight winning streak, most recently defeating José Aldo and Patchy Mix.
Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane
“I think any victory will give one more opportunity, another opportunity to fight for the title,” Nurmagomedov said. “Who else [is there]? There is almost nobody.
“Even right now, I can fight for the title I think because everybody is interested in this fight. Me and Merab, this is a fight all the fans want. It’s one of the [most] interesting fights in the UFC, not just in our weight, but I don’t want to [wait] too long.”
It’s an understandable mindset from Nurmagomedov, whose climb up the bantamweight division was only slowed due to inactivity. Since joining the roster in January 2021, he made the walk to the Octagon seven times, a far cry from his schedule on the regional scene when he fought at least three times per year from 2017 to 2019.
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He lauds Davlishvili’s commitment to a busy schedule despite his status as the champion, although he wonders whether defending the title for a fourth time in 12 months is too much, even for the energetic Georgian. That said, along with maintaining a rhythm in the gym and in fights, there are more benefits that come with fighting so frequently.
“It’s money, too (laughs),” Nurmagomedov said. “We’re doing this for money, right? For legacy [too]. I want to be active because, before I retire, I think I need a 10-fight win streak. If I sit and wait, it’s not going to happen. I need to fight every three or four months.”
The chase for the title remains paramount, though. Nurmagomedov could position himself for another title shot at the top of 2026 should he hand Bautista his first loss in more than four years.
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Beyond that, he hopes his performance is an inspirational one. Lingering questions always surround a combat sports athlete who suffers his first professional loss. That letdown can cause a lack of motivation or doubts in their own abilities, but Nurmagomedov doesn’t show any such signs. Instead, he seems even more committed to his goals, which is a scary proposition for every bantamweight on the roster.
“I think it’s going to be an example of how you don’t need to give up and [can] come back stronger,” he said. “Always, everybody can come back. It’s not just in MMA. In any position in life, don’t give up.”
UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane took place live from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 25, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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