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PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov says he recently turned down the promotion’s initial offer.

Usman Nurmagomedov’s free agency is in full swing, and the reigning Professional Fighters League lightweight champion has already made his first move in negotiations.

As Nurmagomedov revealed in a recent interview with Sports24, the PFL allegedly offered him a new contract in excess of $2 million to re-sign with the promotion. But the undefeated Nurmagomedov claims he turned down the PFL’s initial offer and didn’t answer whether or not the UFC had reached out to him with a competitive deal on the table.

PFL CEO John Martin recently expressed the promotion’s profound interest in bringing Nurmagomedov back to the Smartcage, but also admitted that the UFC presents an intriguing angle for the lightweight to explore. Usman, the cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, has long been thought of as a potential UFC lightweight star.

Usman Nurmagomedov opens door to potential UFC signing after turning down PFL offer

Nurmagomedov’s most recent win came against Archie Colgan at PFL New York. After his PFL lightweight title defense, Nurmagomedov hinted at looming negotiations with Jake Paul and Most Valuable Promotions following the recently announced MVP MMA-PFL merger.

As of this writing, Paul hasn’t spoken publicly on the status of Nurmagomedov’s negotiations, and contract talks are ongoing.

Nurmagomedov is arguably the biggest star in the PFL today, after Kayla Harrison’s 2024 departure and recent roster reshuffling. The PFL underwent significant change in 2026 as the league’s ‘tournament format’ was scrapped for a more traditional, merit-based title contender system.

Nurmagomedov was one of many top Bellator names who switched over to the PFL after the league purchased Bellator MMA. He kicked off his title reign by winning the belt against Patricky Pitbull in November 2022.

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