Who is Khabib Nurmagomedov's cousin Usman Nurmagomedov fighting next?

UFC lightweight legend Khabib Nurmagomedov's 24-year-old cousin Usman Nurmagomedov will face Bellator lightweight champion Patricky Freire in his next fight at Bellator 288 on November 18.

Usman is undefeated in his mixed martial arts career, having won all 15 of his fights so far.

The Russian's last three victories were dominant first-round finishes. In his previous Bellator fight, the 24-year-old triumphed over Christopher Gonzalez via first-round submission due to a guillotine choke. Eight of his wins have come by knockout and five have come by submission.

Watch Usman Nurmagomedov make light work of Christopher Gonzalez below:

It has taken the Dagestani four fights in Bellator to earn the title shot. Interestingly, 'The Eagle' was in Usman's corner when he made his promotional debut at Bellator 225 in 2021.

Bellator lightweight champion Patricky Freire, on the other hand, holds a pro record of 24 wins against 10 losses. In his last fight at Bellator 270, 'Pitbull' captured the vacant lightweight championship with a second-round TKO win over Peter Queally.

The Brazilian holds wins against the likes of former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson and former Strikeforce lightweight title challenger Josh Thomson.

Bellator 288 also features a light-heavyweight title clash between Vadim Nemkov and the No.1-contender Corey Anderson.

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Patricky Freire says Usman Nurmagomedov's last name helped him get the title shot

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Bellator lightweight champion Patricky Freire claimed that if not for his famous last name, Usman Nurmagomedov wouldn't have gotten a crack at the lightweight title.

'Pitbull' added that the Dagestani hasn't beaten any big names in the organization yet:

“I’m very happy to fight against him, but I’m ready for everything. I think he doesn’t deserve this title fight. He’s fighting for the title because he has a big name: Nurmagomedov. That’s it. But let’s do it. If Bellator put him against me, let’s destroy. Bellator put him against me just because of his name, Nurmagomedov. That’s it, because he never fought against nobody from the top 10 in Bellator."

However, the lightweight champion acknowledged that the 24-year-old does possess great wrestling and striking skills:

“He’s a young boy. Of course, he knows wrestling and he strikes very well. But I’m a 'Pitbull'. I’m the king. I’m the champion."

Watch Patricky Freire's top finishes below: