Usman Nurmagomedov will not be stripped of Bellator title after disqualification

The sports organization Bellator does not intend to deprive Russian MMA fighter Usman Nurmagomedov of the championship title, said promotion executive director Mike Kogan. He noted that the organization is considering a rematch with Brent Primus, the results of the fight with whom were canceled due to a violation of anti-doping rules.

“It wasn’t doping. No one is depriving him of any titles. A rematch with Brent Primus is the only thing that makes sense,” Mr. Kogan wrote on Instagram (the social network belongs to Meta, which is recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation).

Usman Nurmagomedov was suspended from competition for six months by the California State Athletic Commission. The fighter’s manager, Rizvan Magomedov, explained that he “underwent treatment and took medications as prescribed by the doctor” three months before the fight. The team did not know that the drug contained a prohibited substance. According to Mr. Magomedov, they wanted to disqualify the athlete for a longer period, but after providing documents, the punishment was set for six months. As the manager noted, the team should have notified the commission about the use of drugs.

Fight between Usman Nurmagomedov and Brent Primus took place in American San Diego in October. It ended with the victory of the Russian by unanimous decision of the judges. Nurmagomedov defended his lightweight title and reached the Bellator Grand Prix final. For the 25-year-old Russian, the victory was the 18th in his career; he had never lost. Brother of UFC fighter Umar Nurmagomedov and second cousin of former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Leonid Uvarchev