Overview
- Speaking at the World Sports Summit in Dubai, the retired UFC champion said U.S.-based organizations prefer trash talk and entertainment to quiet, results-driven contenders.
- Nurmagomedov framed the sport as needing fairness over showmanship, saying competition should decide opportunities rather than promotional theatrics.
- He pointed to recent UFC non-renewals of fighters with strong records, citing undefeated Rinat Fakhretdinov after a 54-second TKO in September, heavyweight Martin Buday, and title-hopeful flyweight Muhammad Mokaev.
- He alleged some promotions are following politics by avoiding signings of fighters from certain backgrounds, mentioning common Dagestani surnames like Magomedov and Nurmagomedov.
- He said his Dagestan gyms have about 500 amateur fighters seeking pathways, and there has been no public response from the UFC to his claims.