UFC Perfect Landing Spot for PFL Champ Usman Nurmagomedov

Usman Nurmagomedov (22-0, 1 NC MMA, 4-0 PFL) has some decisions to make in the aftermath of a busy weekend. This past Friday, the PFL held its latest event in New York, an event headlined by Nurmagomedov fighting Archie Colgan for the PFL Lightweight Championship.

Although the bout was slated for five rounds at five minutes per round, Usman Nurmagomedov only needed less than one round to record a knockout victory against Colgan with an uppercut followed by ground and pound. This was Nurmagomedov's fourth successive victory under the PFL banner.

It also could have been his last under the PFL banner. Friday's PFL New York main event served as the final fight on Usman Nurmagomedov's contract, making him a free agent in MMA.

PFL-MVP Merger Complicates Usman Nurmagomedov's Status after PFL New York

What makes the situation cloudy are the developments which took place on July 30, one day ahead of PFL New York. While the fighters booked to appear on the New York card were preparing to make weight for the next evening's fights, a merger was agreed to.

Last Thursday, the PFL and Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)  came to terms on a merger that will eventually see their respective rosters join forces. All told, once the pact is offiially consummated, north of 300 combat athletes will fall under the MVP umbrella.

Luke Thomas, co-host of the Morning Kombat podcast, commented on the merger on his MMA YouTube channel on Thursday, mentioning that this business move was one born out of necessity.

"PFL doesn't have celebrity," Thomas said. "I think under Jonathan Martin's leadership, they're making a lot of very good decisions, but they just didn't have the big event space kind of cornered, at all. That all belonged to the UFC, and Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian have put on one of these events, although it was very successful, relatively speaking. You get the idea that they don't have the ability to have the brand leveraged in that way."

Dana White Mentions Usman Nurmagomedov's Free Agency in UFC Belgrade Presser

Following Saturday night's UFC Belgrade, UFC CEO Dana White took to the podium for his post-fight press conference. During his meeting with the media, White was asked about the possibility of the UFC coming to terms with Usman Nurmagomedov in the wake of the expiration of his PFL deal.

He gave the briefest of answers.

"Sure," Dana White said. Although he gave a one-word response after UFC Belgrade this weekend, this doesn't directly mean that the UFC and Usman Nurmagomedov are holding meetings, nor should it be taken that any deal is imminent. In a recent Instagram post, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Usman Nurmagomedov's cousin, mentioned that the topic of free agency will be visited in the near future.

UFC Signing Would be Best Move for Usman Nurmagomedov, Promotion

At the core, Usman Nurmagomedov's free agency couldn't have come at a better possible time. If thought about, this scenario is a perfect storm for him, his team, and the UFC.

Usman Nurmagomedov is undefeated in MMA at 22-0 with one no-contest and is a champion at lightweight. This is a man who has already built up a winning reputation in the PFL, becoming a bona fide superstar in the process.

Fighters of Usman Nurmagomedov's caliber don't come around very often in MMA. If any undefeated fighter who just won a championship fight in the last bout on his contract entered free agency, promotions from all over the world would do anything in their power to try to court them. 

If the UFC and Usman Nurmagomedov are to come to terms on a contract to bring him to the No. 1 promotion on earth, they'd have a main-event combatant from the word go. Seeing Usman Nurmagomedov fight in a main event in the UFC for his promotional debut would be mandatory viewing. Only time will tell, however, if this is the case.