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PFL CEO John Martin says the UFC has to overcome several hurdles before potentially signing Usman Nurmagomedov in free agency.

Professional Fighters League superstar Usman Nurmagomedov, cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, is arguably the biggest name to hit MMA free agency in years. Nurmagomedov most recently defended the PFL lightweight title by brutally knocking out Archie Colgan at PFL New York.

UFC CEO Dana White raised eyebrows when he admitted that the promotion is interested in adding Nurmagomedov to its lightweight division. Many believe it’s a foregone conclusion that Nurmagomedov will sign with the UFC instead of re-signing with the PFL.

But the top PFL executive revealed that notion is misleading, and that the league is in the process of negotiating a mega deal with Nurmagomedov.

John Martin updates on the state of Usman Nurmagomedov/PFL negotiations

In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, PFL CEO John Martin was asked about Nurmagomedov’s future and how confident he is that he will return to the league.

“There is so much misinformation. The UFC has not given him an offer. They’re not legally allowed to. We have an exclusive negotiating period. We’re putting together an offer, and we’re going to sit down and talk with them. I think our offer will be competitive,” Martin said of Nurmagomedov’s free agency.

“It’s really up to him. We would love to have him. We would love to keep him… I do have to say, it’s a little bit funny… I started saying a year ago, ‘This guy is one of the best lightweights in the world,’ and I think people were almost mocking me. The original speculation was that he wouldn’t even be top 15 in the UFC… Now I find it kind of ironic that he is being paraded around like he’s the salvation of mixed martial arts.

“I mean, he’s a terrific talent, and we would love to keep him and work with him,” Martin continued on Nurmagomedov. “We’d love for him to be a meaningful part of our promotion. If he chooses that’s not the path he wants to take, then we have a lot of great fighters here, and it’s a dynamic ecosystem.”

Will the UFC sign Usman Nurmagomedov? Let us know your prediction in the comments!

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