Usman Nurmagomedov names one UFC lightweight he believes is “worth watching”

Usman Nurmagomedov has been in the headlines as he is free agent after completing his contract with PFL. All signs point to him potentially signing with the premier MMA promotion, the UFC. If things move in the right direction, Usman's addition to the UFC’s lightweight division will be great and bring excitement to the division. 

Amid this, Usman shared his thoughts on the current top UFC lightweight contenders and named one UFC top-ranked lightweight that's worth watching, and it's not Paddy Pimblett, Max Holloway, Arman Tsarukyan, or Charles Oliveira.

Usman Nurmagomedov picks rising UFC lightweight to watch instead of division’s biggest names

Usman was recently interviewed by Sport24, where he was asked to share his thoughts on UFC lightweight contenders. He sounded off on most of the top-ranked 155-pounders but praised the Australian Quillan Salkilld for finishing his opponents. The PFL champion believes Salkilld's combination of wrestling and striking makes him an especially interesting fighter to follow.

“He’s doing well with four first-round knockouts, and I think six wins total. He’s doing really well. He wrestles and strikes He’s the one worth watching,” Usman said.

The Russian also admitted that he is curious to see who the UFC matches Salkilld with next and how quickly the promotion gives him opportunities to fight for the UFC gold.

“It’ll be interesting to see who they give him next and how his career will progress in general. You know, it's intresting to watch someone like him. Someone who risee up makes a loud statement for himself and they give him opportunities, while those sitting in the top ten just beat and lose to each other. However they want and then brag that they are  the best,” Usman continued.

Check out Usman Nurmagomedov’s comments below: 

Salkilld needed just 19 seconds to make a statement in UFC. In his debut, he knocked out Anshul Jubli in 19 seconds of the first round and never looked back, climbing the rankings. He fought six times in promotion in under 1.5 years. He finished five of his opponents in the first round and had just one unanimous decision victory. 

His stake increased rapidly after his recent outing, as many believed that UFC veteran Mateusz Gamrot had great wrestling to stop a dream run on Salkilld. However, the Australian submitted him in the first round via a rear-naked choke and proved he belongs in the top elite lightweights. 

Salkilld’s rapid rise is exactly what Usman believes the UFC should reward, but his comments were not limited to praising the Australian. The Dagestani lightweight also aimed at some of the division’s established contenders, particularly Arman Tsarukyan. 

Usman Nurmagomedov takes aim at Arman Tsarukyan’s inactivity

In the aforementioned interview, Usman criticized Tsarukyan for his inactivity and compared his recent activity to his PFL title defense. He also pointed out the Armenian’s defeats in UFC. 

Usman said, “Arman lost to Gamrot and Islam. He sits around waiting, fights once a year and says he's the best fighter in the world. While he's had two fights, I made four title defenses.”

Tsarukyan has fought only once since his split-decision victory over Charles Oliveira at UFC 330 in April 2024. However, the inactivity has a reason; he was set to fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 311, but he withdrew just one day before the fight. 

Since Tsarukyan had been waiting for an opportunity for a title fight, but UFC brass made it clear that he had to earn the opportunity, so he faced Dan hooker in last November. He got a submission victory, and now he is set to face Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 in the co-main event. He has claimed that the UFC has promised that if he wins, he will be next in line to face lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.