Khabib Nurmagomedov opens up and justifies his cousin's fight at UFC Baku; understand why.

Khabib coaches his cousin Umar in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC

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Coming from victory against Deiveson Figueiredo in January of this year, Umar Nurmagomedov He already has a date to return to the world's most famous octagon, however, with a surprising opponent. Despite having only one loss as a professional and occupying the second position in the bantamweight rankings (up to 61,2 kg), the Russian will face a name outside the top 5: David MartinezThe announcement was made last Monday (1) by Ultimate itself and generated a series of reactions among fans, so that Khabib Nurmagomedov He came forward on Wednesday (3) to talk about the matter through social media.

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Although he didn't go into further detail, the coach didn't hide his frustrated desire to find a more well-known opponent for his cousin. Even so, he made it clear that he hopes to have better opportunities if he wins against the Mexican.

“We don’t choose our opponents. Whoever they give us, we’ll fight them, and then we’ll see where the victories take us. Of course, we wanted someone in the top 5, but they all have fights scheduled or are busy,” he stated.

Khabib reacts to Umar Nurmagomedov getting yet another opponent outside the top 5

"We don't choose opponents. Whoever they give us, we'll fight him, and after that we'll see where the wins take us.

Of course, we wanted someone in the top 5, but they're all booked/busy.” pic.twitter.com/BYeb6ZVm4C

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 3, 2026

Ranked eighth in the division, Martinez has never been defeated by stoppage and hasn't lost since 2021. In the UFC, he has won all three of his fights without much difficulty. In his last performance, the Doctor overcame... Marlon Vera by unanimous decision earlier this year.

Khabib's cousin tries to secure a second shot at the belt.

Merab Dvalishvili derrotou Umar Nurmagomedov No. UFC 311 (Photo: Instagram/UFC)

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Known for his connections with Khabib and Islam makhachevUmar reached the top of the bantamweight division (up to 61,2 kg) by defeating names such as Raoni barcelos e Cory Sandhagen, but suffered his first defeat as a professional when he was beaten by Merab Dvalishvili in the co-main event of UFC 311Since then, he has undergone surgery on his left hand and returned to the win column with two consecutive victories.