Chael Sonnen believes Usman Nurmagomedov is jumping ship.
The undefeated PFL lightweight champion is now a free agent after completing his contract at PFL New York last weekend. Nurmagomedov (22-0) defended his title by stopping Archie Colgan in the first round, handing the challenger the first loss of his career.
Now a big decision awaits. Will Nurmagomedov re-sign with the PFL, or test himself against the best in the UFC? Chael Sonnen believes he will switch and possibly face real adversity.
"I predict that Usman does go over to (the UFC's) 155 pounds," Sonnen said in a YouTube video. "He will not be a lock. He will be one of the guys. He will not just walk through Paddy 'The Baddy,' Max Holloway, Arman Tsarukyan, or Justin Gaethje. But could
he compete with them all? Yes. Is he good enough to beat them all? Yeah. They can beat him too, but yes, Usman is that good."
For the PFL, which recently announced a merger with Most Valuable Promotions, keeping a name like Nurmagomedov, one of the promotion's biggest stars, on its roster would seem like a top priority. Sonnen is of the belief it may not be worth it, considering the UFC could push the number too high. For Nurmagomedov, Sonnen wants to see the undefeated star make the most of his opportunities, and depending on what he wants most out of his career will help determine where he lands.
"Is it worth holding on to for the PFL? No," Sonnen said. "Because in the world of chess, which is what you're really buying in these moments, much like with Conor Benn, we're not buying the punches and the kicks. We're not buying that commodity. We're buying 20 minutes in the headlines, on the dot coms that are ruled by our space – and that's got a number. And it's got a pretty nice number. And that number is somewhere around $500,000. I think one of these organizations is going to offer him about $500,000, and that's the right number.
"Now, Usman has the same job as everybody else, which is to make the most money for the easiest fight, whatever that is. But he can satisfy both of those in the PFL. He can't satisfy it quite as easy in the UFC. But if you are a competitor, and you want your recognition, then that's the place. Regardless of the offer, that's the place that is perhaps best for you. So, will Usman be back? Yes. Will Usman win? Will Usman keep that udefeated streak going? Yeah. Yes, he will. He's very good. Is he going to do that in the PFL? I would predict not. I think he's going to the UFC."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Analyst predicts Usman Nurmagomedov moves to UFC, won't be 'a lock' to win
