{"id":38910,"date":"2026-06-21T16:54:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T16:54:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sherdog.com\/news\/news\/Islam-Makhachev-Usman-Nurmagomedov-will-take-pay-cut-by-signing-with-UFC-201597"},"modified":"2026-06-21T16:54:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T16:54:35","slug":"islam-makhachev-usman-nurmagomedov-will-take-pay-cut-by-signing-with-ufc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/islam-makhachev-usman-nurmagomedov-will-take-pay-cut-by-signing-with-ufc\/","title":{"rendered":"Islam Makhachev: Usman Nurmagomedov will take pay cut by signing with UFC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n

Islam
\nMakhachev<\/a> believes teammate Usman
\nNurmagomedov<\/a> will have to compromise on his salary if he moves
\nto the
\nUFC<\/a> from the
\nProfessional Fighters League<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Nurmagomedov (20-1) is considered one of the best lightweights in
\nthe world, regardless of promotion. Nurmagomedov\u2019s current PFL
\ncontract will expire after he puts his lightweight title on the
\nline against Archie
\nColgan<\/a> at
\nPFL New York<\/a> on July 31 at the UBS Arena in Long Island, New
\nYork. <\/p>\n

There has been speculation about Nurmagomedov potentially signing
\nwith the UFC after his current PFL contract expires. Makhachev
\n(28-1) believes Nurmagomedov needs to move to the UFC to fully
\nrealize his potential against a higher caliber of opponents.
\nHowever, Makhachev claims that Nurmagomedov is getting a hefty
\npayday in the PFL, which the UFC is unlikely to pay. According to
\nMakhachev, Nurmagomedov still has ample time to sign another PFL
\ncontract and move to the UFC later in his career to build his
\nlegacy. The UFC welterweight champion believes Nurmagomedov should
\nsign with the UFC only if the offer is lucrative enough.<\/p>\n

Room to Grow<\/h2>\n

\u201cLooking at the opponents, I\u2019d say Usman should make the move,\u201d
\nMakhachev told Adam Zubayraev<\/a>. \u201cTo fully realize his
\npotential, he needs tougher opponents. They push you to grow. I
\nthink Usman still has room to improve\u2026 In PFL they pay much more.
\nThe UFC doesn\u2019t like paying that much. If Usman signs, I think he
\ngets half the purse he gets in PFL\u2026 If he works out one more
\ncontract [in PFL], three more fights, he won\u2019t be late for
\nanything. Let the UFC make him an offer he can\u2019t refuse. But if
\nthey offer a small purse, what\u2019s the point of going?\u201d