Umar Nurmagomedov Becomes No. 1 Contender In Bantamweight Division After UFC 321
At UFC 311, fans saw a historic fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov. The bout went down in history as the first time a member of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s family lost in a pro-MMA fight. All eyes were then on UFC 321, where ‘The Young Eagle’ looked to bounce back against Mario Bautista, and he did so successfully, earning the No. 1 contender spot.
At UFC 321, Umar immediately started taking Bautista down, but the fight didn’t go as easily as many expected on paper. Bautista even came close to finishing the Dagestani a couple of times, nearly breaking his foot and knocking him down with knees to the body and head that wobbled him.
However, with his constant pressure throughout the three rounds, apart from a few tough moments, Umar earned a unanimous decision win. This victory pushed him to the No. 1 spot and caused Sean O’Malley to lose his ranking after back-to-back losses.
🚨 The UFC men’s bantamweight rankings have been updated following #UFC321
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 28, 2025
Umar Nurmagomedov is officially the #1 contender 👀 pic.twitter.com/pd2yJJIcIn
But the No. 1 spot doesn’t guarantee him a title shot yet, as his win wasn’t very convincing. Still, Umar has his eyes on the title.
Umar Nurmagomedov Eyes A Title Fight Next After UFC 321 Win
Even before the fight, Belal Muhammad said he sees Umar as the biggest danger to champion Dvalishvili. ‘The Young Eagle’ said he is ready for the title fight and wants to win what he missed at UFC 311.
Now, after the UFC 321 fight, he said, “I will come to take this belt. Doesn’t matter who it’s gonna be, Petr Yan, Merab, doesn’t matter. I will become champion.”
At the UFC 321 pre-fight press conference, Dagestani asked for a title fight next, but Dana White turned it around and told him that it was time to know he has to put on a show. He won, but it was not the performance White was asking for, so we may not see a title fight yet. He has a handful of big-name fighters he can face next.
Umar Nurmagomedov Becomes No. 1 Contender In Bantamweight Division After UFC 321
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