Usman Nurmagomedov Says He Turned Down $2 Million PFL Offer
Usman Nurmagomedov says he already rejected a Professional Fighters League offer worth more than $2 million per fight as talks over his next contract continue. The undefeated PFL lightweight champion made the claim in comments to Sport24 while confirming that the promotion still has time left on its exclusive negotiating window.
Nurmagomedov closed out his previous deal on July 31 at PFL New York, where he knocked out Archie Colgan in the first round to retain the lightweight title. That finish moved him to 22-0 with one no-contest and left him as one of the most valuable free agents in MMA.
PFL still holds first rights. CEO John Martin has said the UFC is not legally allowed to make an offer during the promotion’s exclusive period and that PFL is preparing what he called a competitive proposal.
Nurmagomedov said those talks have not produced a new agreement yet.
“Negotiations with the PFL are still ongoing. 90 days have to pass. After that, we’ll see… But I have [previously] turned down $2 million. When we made our request for a new contract, the numbers were different. Higher [than $2 million].”
The comment draws a clear line. A seven-figure figure was already on the table, and his camp wanted more than that before committing to another PFL run.
The timing matches what his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, said earlier this month. Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie that PFL had a chance to lock Nurmagomedov down before the Colgan fight, that a number was presented, and that the promotion chose not to take it.
Nurmagomedov then fought out the final bout on the old deal. That decision put leverage on his side after he stopped a previously unbeaten challenger in New York.
Money has been the public theme since that night. Standing in the cage with Jake Paul after the knockout, Nurmagomedov pointed to MVP’s criticism of UFC fighter pay and said the new PFL-MVP partnership now had to prove it would pay a 22-0 champion what he believes he is worth.
The $2 million figure raises the floor of the discussion. Previous reporting had placed his recent PFL purses in a high but lower range, with some accounts citing a $500,000 base plus title bonuses and others describing a deal worth more than $1 million per fight. His latest comments put the rejected offer above $2 million and the requested number higher still.
That gap is the heart of the standoff. PFL wants to keep its top lightweight and one of the few undefeated champions outside the UFC. Nurmagomedov’s team is treating the exclusive window as a chance to reset the price, not simply extend the old terms.
A move to the UFC remains the other path if PFL does not meet the number. Islam Makhachev has already argued that Usman would face stronger opposition there but could take a steep pay cut, estimating the UFC might offer about half of what PFL has paid.
Nurmagomedov has not said he is leaving. He has only said the last offer he rejected was $2 million and that the ask for a new contract sat above that mark.
The 90-day clock is the next confirmed step. Until that exclusive period ends, PFL keeps the first chance to close a deal, and rival promotions cannot legally bid. After that window expires, Abdelaziz has said the camp can speak with other organizations if no agreement is reached.
For now, the champion is still under PFL’s negotiating rights, still holding the lightweight belt, and still waiting to see whether the promotion will go above the figure he already turned down. The next development will come when that 90-day period runs out and both sides have to decide whether a higher number is enough to keep him in the same cage.