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#4. Nurmagomedov vs. Goiti Yamauchi
Another possible opponent for Usman Nurmagomedov is the No.4-ranked Bellator lightweight Goiti Yamauchi. He's coming off an impressive TKO win over Chris Gonzalez, which was only the second KO/TKO win of his career. He made a statement that he has knockout power and can hold his own in the standup.
Yamauchi has earned a reputation as being a submission specialist and holds the record for most submission wins in Bellator history. He signed a multi-fight extension, so he'll likely be in the title picture in the foreseeable future.
It would be interesting to see how Usman would fare against a fighter with Yamauchi’s ability. He could be hesitant to take the fight to the ground and may decide to rely on his striking. Yamauchi's submission skills could cause Usman to approach the fight with more of a striking approach. A big win could see one of them get closer to a title shot and perhaps even compete in a title-eliminator.
#3. Nurmagomedov vs. Brent Primus
If Bellator decides to fast-track Nurmagomedov to a title shot, a bout with Brent Primus could be a possibility. The former Bellator lightweight champion is coming off a dominant unanimous decision win over Benson Henderson.
He’s currently the No.2-ranked Bellator lightweight, so it would make sense for the promotion to book him against the No.3-ranked Usman. Like Yamauchi, Primus has also earned a reputation for his submission ability. Since losing the Bellator lightweight championship to Michael Chandler, he’s been on a quest to regain the title.
If he were to fight Usman, it would be interesting to see where the bout is contested. Primus had criticized Bellator’s matchmaking, so perhaps a title-eliminator would get them back in his good graces. Considering Usman is one of the promotion’s top prospects, Primus might have extra motivation to derail the hype train.
