Credit: Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC

It sounds like Professional Fighters League lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov’s tenure is coming to an imminent conclusion.

Usman Nurmagomedov remains the top free agent in Mixed Martial Arts after his Professional Fighters League contract expired following a win over Archie Colgan earlier this year. The PFL lightweight champion recently turned down the league’s reported $2 million initial offer to re-sign with the promotion, hinting at a potential move to the UFC.

Usman, the cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, could potentially sign with the UFC after PFL contract talks have stalled out. If he signed with the UFC, he’ll be a top threat in the stacked lightweight division.

Despite a potential UFC signing, the PFL could still offer Nurmagomedov a top-end deal to return to the league. But UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, Nurmagomedov’s teammate, recently expressed little chance of that coming to fruition.

Islam Makhachev hints at imminent Usman Nurmagomedov UFC signing

In a recent interview with Match TV, Makhachev was asked about the chances of Nurmagomedov signing with the UFC, and claimed there was a 90 percent chance of it coming to fruition.

“It’s the perfect move for him; he needs to prove he’s the best in the world. He could face a top-10 rival and soon earn a title shot,” Makhachev said of Nurmagomedov.

“He grew up alongside Khabib and me, has trained with the best from the start of his career and has extensive experience working with champions; now is the best time for him to join the UFC.” (h/t Bloody Elbow)

As of this writing, Nurmagomedov remains a free agent, but could potentially join the UFC in the coming weeks. Usman was in Umar Nurmagomedov’s corner at UFC Shanghai last month.

Will Usman Nurmagomedov eventually win a UFC lightweight title? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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