Exclusive: Usman Nurmagomedov opens up about Bellator lightweight title bouts, says it was an "honor" fighting Benson Henderson

Usman Nurmagomedov recently opened up about his Bellator lightweight title reign including winning the championship and his title defenses. The Dagestani has become a highly touted fighter, especially considering that he has followed in his cousin Khabib's footsteps and won the championship with an undefeated record.

The 26-year-old earned a unanimous decision win over Patricky 'Pitbull' Freire to win the lightweight championship at Bellator 288 in 2022. Since then, Nurmagomedov has participated in the Bellator lightweight Grand Prix, where he successfully retained his title against Benson Henderson and Brent Primus, with the latter being overturned to a no-contest.

During an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, 'The Eagle's young protege spoke highly of his opponents and described what it was like sharing the cage with respected veterans. Nurmagomedov mentioned that he looks back on those title bouts fondly as he continues to build his legacy in the sport, especially defeating Henderson in his final MMA bout. He said:

"For me, it was an honor to compete with Benson [Henderson], with Brent [Primus] and with Patricky ['Pitbull']. All these guys like, they're all older than me. When I was beginning [in Bellator], these guys [were] high level, you know? And I grew up [watching Henderson's] fights and for me, it was [an] honor but fight is fight."

Check out Usman Nurmagomedov's comments below:

---

When is Usman Nurmagomedov's next title fight?

khabib-nurmagomedov-s-viral-black-eye-photo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Usman Nurmagomedov is scheduled to defend his lightweight championship against Alexandr Shabliy in the main event of tomorrow night's Bellator Champions Series: San Diego.

The bout was originally scheduled to headline Bellator Champions Series: Paris this past May, however, the champion was unfortunately forced to withdraw resulting in the fight being postponed. It's important to note that Nurmagomedov vs. Shabliy was intended to serve as the finals of the Bellator lightweight Grand Prix, but after PFL acquired the promotion, they will no longer be competing for the $1 million grand prize.

Check out the promotion's post regarding Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Alexandr Shabliy below: