Khabib's undefeated cousin Usman Nurmagomedov set to make Bellator debut

Khabib Nurmagomedov may have retired from fighting but a member of his family, another Nurmagomedov, is ready to begin his career in the USA.

Usman Nurmagomedov, a cousin of Khabib, will make his Bellator debut this Friday opposite Mike Hamel.

It will be the first time that a member of the Nurmagomedov clan will fight on a Bellator card.

When MMA Junkie asked him why he chose Bellator over UFC, the much sought after undefeated prospect joked: “We’ve got enough Nurmagomedov’s in the UFC so we needed to move on, so that’s why I picked Bellator. They needed one as well.”

It's clear that Usman, who boasts a perfect 11-0 record, does not want to remain under Khabib's shadow and wants to soar even higher.

"It's very motivational for me to fight under the Nurmagomedov name," Usman added in an interview with BBC.

"I want to follow in Khabib's footsteps, follow his journey and eventually become a better version of him."