Daniel Cormier claims Usman Nurmagomedov could surpass Khabib Nurmagomedov as the best fighter in the family

06/08/2024 13:19

Daniel Cormier strongly believes that Usman Nurmagomedov has the talent to transcend the achievements of his cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov and solidify his place as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.

At the age of just 26, the Bellator lightweight champion has a long journey ahead of him, which DC expects to be filled with memorable moments.

Daniel Cormier believes Usman Nurmagomedov is capable of being even better than Khabib Nurmagomedov

With the hopes of a nation on his shoulders, Khabib Nurmagomedov forged his legacy in stone, retiring with a perfect 29-0 record.

Utilizing his formidable grappling skills, the Russian dismantled an array of top-level opponents, taking the scalps of Conor McGregor and Justin Gaethje.

However, with ‘The Eagle’ now retired, he’s taking huge enjoyment in watching the next generation come through.

On Saturday evening, his cousin Umar Nurmagomedov made a huge statement with a dominant victory over Cory Sandhagen at UFC Abu Dhabi.

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In addition, Umar’s younger brother, Usman Nurmagomedov, is quickly proving himself as one of the most exciting talents in the sport.

Having already picked up submission wins over Benson Henderson and Chris Gonzalez, the gifted athlete is forging a fearsome reputation, and has consequently caught the attention of Daniel Cormier, who believes he’s capable of outshining even the great Khabib.

On the Good Guy / Bad Guy podcast, with Chael Sonnen, the former two-weight UFC champion said: “Isn’t it crazy to watch the success that these guys have had? Not only just Khabib but to have Umar and Usman.

“Usman might be the best out of all of them. This dude is amazing in terms of fighting. He fights in Bellator, now the PFL.”

‘The American Gangster’ added: “The first family of fighting is the Gracie family, but the Nurmagomedovs are coming for the title.”

Merab Dvalishvili says Umar Nurmagomedov is only getting a push because he’s related to Khabib

While ‘The American Gangster’ and Cormier are incredibly impressed by what the Nurmagomedov family has achieved, Merab Dvalishvili claims Umar is merely getting the push because of what his cousin did before him.

Prior to the Russian’s victory over Sandhagen, his rival told heavywgt MMA: “I know the UFC [is] pushing him. He don’t deserve the push like this. He’s a good fighter, but he beat nobody, and he’s ranked No.10. Now, he’s fighting No.2. He has a push because we all know why. He’s Khabib’s cousin. He’s a good fighter. I have all the respect [for] him.”

Dvalishvili explained that he felt that he had to work much harder to earn his shot at the belt against Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, than he feels Umar will have to.

The Georgian asserted: “It leaves me heartbroken when you see sometimes when you working hard I wasn’t sure if I was getting a title fight until two weeks ago.

“He’s a good fighter, but he got pushed. It’s like cheating a little bit to get here. I have 12 fights in the UFC, I beat like seven or eight ranked fighters.”

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