Usman Nurmagomedov's manager says PFL declined contract extension despite pre-fight offer

Usman Nurmagomedov has been dominating headlines since Friday, as he completed his contract with PFL, and the MMA world is closely following his next moves, whether he resigns with PFL or goes to the premier MMA promotion, UFC.

Last Friday, Nurmagomedov fought Archie Colgan at PFL New York in the main event. He put on a spectacular performance and knocked out Colgan under four minutes to retain his lightweight belt. 

However, this win also marked the end of Nurmagomedov’s current PFL contract, and he is now the biggest free agent in the sport. Now his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, has revealed that the PFL had an opportunity to secure the Dagestani star's future before the fight but declined to do so.

Ali Abdelaziz Says PFL Declined to Extend Usman Nurmagomedov's contract

In his recent appearance on MMA Junkie, Abdelaziz praised PFL for giving deserving fighters opportunities and revealed that PFL decided against accepting the offer, allowing Nurmagomedov to test free agency.

“The truth of the matter is, the PFL had the opportunity to sign him before the fight, and you know how much I love the PFL. PFL has always given opportunities, and they don’t get enough credit.” Abdelaziz said. “I put a number on the table for them for Usman to extend his contract, but the number, I thought was a fair number, but they chose not to.”

Abdelaziz also praised Nurmagomedov for betting on himself by entering the final fight of his deal without a new contract in place. The manager admitted it was a risk but believes it ultimately paid off.

“Usman took a risk, he could’ve went out there and lost… He took a risk and gambled on himself and he win. Now as a manager I have to talk to (other) people. They allow me to do that by not re-signing him,” Abdelaziz continued.

PFL Still Holds Exclusive Negotiating Rights with Usman Nurmagomedov

Although speculation surrounding a potential UFC move has intensified after questions were asked of Dana White about signing Nurmagomedov, and the CEO had the biggest smile, Abdelaziz clarified that the PFL still holds exclusive negotiating rights for a limited period.

Under the terms of the current agreement, the promotion has a 90-day exclusive negotiation window before Nurmagomedov is free to negotiate with other organizations. That said, Abdelaziz noted the timeline could be shortened if the PFL allows him to speak with other promotions sooner.

“They have an exclusive negotiation but after that we’ll talk to other people and figure it out… They could say to go and talk to other people and cut the time off.” Abdeleziz added. 

Check out Ali Abdeleziz’s comments below:

All signs point to Nurmagomedov's potential signing with the UFC.