Ali Abdelaziz is so invested in seeing Usman Nurmagomedov fight Ilia Topuria that he’s willing to dip into his own pocket to make it happen, even before Nurmagomedov has officially signed with the UFC.
“My dream fight, him versus Ilia Topuria… If the UFC wanna do that, I’ll pay the difference from my pocket. If it’s a million or something from my pocket, I will cover, I will cover Usman’s purse. I would love to see that,” Abdelaziz said to Submission Radio.
Ali Abdelaziz Calls Usman Nurmagomedov the “Worst Matchup” for Ilia Topuria
Beyond just wanting to see the fight happen, Abdelaziz made clear he believes the stylistic matchup heavily favors his client. He’s described Usman Nurmagomedov as the “worst matchup” possible for Ilia Topuria, pointing to his combination of elite wrestling, grappling, and finishing ability as a nightmare for a fighter whose game is built around distance striking and knockout power.
Given Nurmagomedov’s unbeaten 22-0 record with 16 finishes, Abdelaziz clearly sees this as a fight that could expose real holes in Topuria’s lightweight résumé rather than just another marquee name to check off.
The comments add an interesting layer given Abdelaziz’s existing client roster. He also manages Justin Gaethje, the current UFC lightweight champion who recently beat Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250, a win that came with controversy attached after Topuria accused Gaethje of possibly having something in his gloves during the fight, an allegation Gaethje has firmly denied and dismissed.
With Abdelaziz already representing the man Topuria is feuding with, and now pushing hard for a fight between Topuria and another one of his fighters, his stable is shaping up to have serious influence over Topuria’s path back to title contention, regardless of who Topuria ends up facing next.
Usman Nurmagomedov’s Free Agency Still in Limbo
For now, the fight remains hypothetical. Usman Nurmagomedov is still working through PFL’s 90-day exclusive negotiation window before he can officially sign elsewhere, with Ali Abdelaziz previously indicating a decision on his next promotion would come by the end of October.
If Nurmagomedov does land in the UFC, Abdelaziz’s willingness to personally subsidize the fight suggests he isn’t planning to wait long to push for a Topuria matchup once the ink is dry.
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