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#4. Dagestani UFC bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov
Dagestani bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov, born in Kizilyurt, Dagestan, is one of the top fighters training under the tutelage of his cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov. The 26-year-old is a fighter to keep an eye on in the UFC bantamweight division as he could ascend the rankings quickly.
Nurmagomedov is currently the No. 14 ranked bantamweight and has an unbeaten 15-0 MMA record. He is a well-rounded fighter that not only has a Sambo background, but also a background in Muay Thai. His striking prowess has been on full display in the octagon and it's obvious that he is comfortable in the standup.
'The Eagle's younger cousin has a great opportunity to become champion in a stacked division. Nurmagomedov could possibly have a similar path to a title shot as Sean O'Malley.
'Sugar' is taking a massive step up in competition against former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan. And so, if Nurmagomedov continues to gain popularity, he could do the same.
#3. Dagestani Bellator lightweight Usman Nurmagomedov
Dagestani lightweight Usman Nurmagomedov has the potential to become the republic's next undefeated lightweight champion. He is UFC bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov's brother and also trains with cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov at AKA. The 24-year-old is currently ranked No. 3 in the Bellator lightweight rankings and is definitely in the mix for the next title shot.
Nurmagomedov is coming off a submission win against Chris Gonzalez at Bellator 283. Gonzalez shot for a takedown, but Nurmagomedov was able to reverse the positioning and submit him with a guillotine-choke.
It will be interesting to see what the promotion does with the young Dagestani phemon. He made a strong case for why he deserves the next title shot against Bellator lightweight champion Patricky Freire. However, the promotion might want to take its sweet time to build Nurmagomedov up before booking him in a title fight.
