Is Usman Nurmagomedov a better and improved version of Khabib Nurmagomedov?

Usman Nurmagomedov is the Bellator lightweight champion and cousin to former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. He is also the younger brother of No.11-ranked UFC bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov.

Carrying the Nurmagomedov surname brings a lot of pressure with it in this day and age. True to his name and similar to his brother and cousin, Usman Nurmagomedov is undefeated in his professional career with a 16-0 record.

The question is - Is Usman Nurmagomedov better than his cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov?

To answer that question, we need to take a closer look at the young fighter's record. The Dagestani breed of fighters comes with their patented style of wrestling, which Khabib Nurmagomedov popularized around the world.

Along with his patented Dagestani wrestling, Usman Nurmagomedov has excellent Muay Thai credentials. In 16 fights, he has had eight knockout wins and five submission victories.

In comparison, 'The Eagle' had eight knockout wins and 11 submission victories in his MMA career, spanning 29 fights.

'The Eagle' primarily used his superior grappling skills to dominate his opponents. Most of Khabib Nurmagomedov's finishes came via ground-and-pound or submission. He took fighters like Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje to the ground and finished them - both dangerous strikers.

It's not like 'The Eagle' wasn't a good striker. He was able to drop fighters like Thiago Tavares and Conor McGregor, but he eventually finished them on the ground.

That being said, the younger Nurmagomedov is a different kind of monster, with 13 finishes in 16 fights.

It might be too early to gauge whether Usman Nurmagomedov is better than 'The Eagle'. However, the new breed of Dagestani fighters, like the aforementioned Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, have a deadly pedigree of excellent striking and superior grappling.

One can make the argument that Usman Nurmagomedov is an improved version of his cousin. He has the potential to become a better version of Khabib Nurmagomedov in the near future. However, he's not there yet. He needs to clock in more time in the cage to even make that argument.

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Does Usman Nurmagomedov have his hands full in light of his cousin's legacy?

While the Bellator lightweight champion is on a tear in his MMA career, becoming the champ at the age of 24, he still has a long career ahead of him in the ever-evolving sport.

The Dagestani style of wrestling meeting Javier Mendez's patented kickboxing approach has given birth to a new breed of fighters. So far, Nurmagomedov has been able to remain an undefeated champion, but he has a long road ahead of him.

The meta of the sport itself is evolving, and things have a way of catching up in MMA. Where 'champ-champ' Conor McGregor was one of those fighters who seemed invincible at one point, he eventually had a hard fall from grace.

Having said that, the future seems bright for the young Nurmagomedov. He only has good things to gain from chasing Khabib Nurmagomedov's legacy.