Mario Bautista is confident of beating Umar Nurmagomedov, who he insists is not at the level of his prominent cousin.
Umar has been forging his own path on MMA’s biggest stage under the guidance of the great Khabib Nurmagomedov, a former UFC lightweight champion who retired with an undefeated 29-0 record in the sport.
Following an unbeaten run at 135 pounds, Umar had his first title shot against Merab Dvalishvili but fell short on the scorecards at UFC 311 this past January.
That bout dented an aura of invincibility that has long surrounded the Nurmagomedov name, and Umar’s first opponent since the loss has no doubt that he can expose it once again.
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Mario Bautista doesn’t fear the Nurmagomedov name ahead of UFC 321 fight against Umar
In his bid to return to winning ways and immediately stake his claim for a second title shot, Nurmagomedov is tasked with stalling the charge of Bautista at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi this October.
Bautista’s win over Patchy Mix at UFC 316 marked his eighth victory in a row, and the 32-year-old expects to extend his streak at the expense of a Nurmagomedov he does not think lives up to the family’s best.
“We definitely don’t think they’re invincible,” Bautista said of the Nurmagomedovs during an appearance on MMA Junkie Radio.
“They’re great grapplers. They’re all good. Usman’s the champion over there (in PFL). But it could be Khabib is just an outlier and is just that great.
“Everybody expects the rest of them to be like that, which isn’t the case,” Bautista added.
“I think we have all the tools, all the guys to get ready for this (fight). I don’t expect this camp to be a good one for him.”
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Merab Dvalishvili says Mario Bautista would have fought him if his cousin was Khabib
Bautista has his eyes on Merab Dvalishvili’s title, and he’s insisted that a victory over Nurmagomedov at UFC 321 must make him next in line for either the Georgian or his upcoming challenger, Cory Sandhagen.
That sounds good for the Georgian, who is evidently keen to face the charging contender and even thinks Bautista would have fought for the gold already if his cousin was Khabib.
“I hope Bautista whoop Umar’s a— and I will fight Bautista next because Bautista is a good, good fighter,” Dvalishvili told MMA Junkie.
“He is on a good winning streak. He beat a lot of good guys and he’s most deserving guy, too.
“Bautista’s cousin’s name is not Khabib. That’s why he needs to have a nine-fight win streak to maybe, maybe fight for the belt,” Dvalishvili added.