PFL CEO in no rush to re-sign undefeated champion Nurmagomedov before title fight

PFL CEO John Martin has confirmed the promotion has held no contract discussions with undefeated lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov, whose current deal runs out after his title defence against Archie Colgan on July 31 at UBS Arena in Long Island, New York.

Nurmagomedov, 21-0, faces fellow unbeaten contender Colgan (13-0) in what will be the final bout of his existing PFL agreement. Martin told Home of Fight that the organisation intends to let the fight play out before deciding whether to pursue a renewal — and that losing the champion, while not ideal, would not derail the promotion’s wider ambitions.

“This is his last fight under the agreement. We haven’t engaged in any discussions with him yet,” Martin said. “Let’s get through the fight and see what he wants to do. He’s a great part of the PFL. We love having him here. And if it makes sense for us to keep him, and he wants to do it, we’d love to have him stay. We just have to wait and see what happens.”

Martin was candid about the possibility of Nurmagomedov departing, framing the situation through the lens of long-term brand building rather than dependence on any single athlete. He pointed to the UFC as a model for how a promotion can sustain itself by developing a pipeline of stars rather than anchoring its identity to one fighter.

“In our job and in our position — and it’s something the UFC has done brilliantly throughout the years — the brand really has to be first and foremost,” Martin said. “Then you have a portfolio of fighters and an ecosystem of finding the next great star early in their career. There’s no one star or two stars that will effectively represent the entire organization.”

The comments reflect a deliberate strategic posture from PFL leadership at a time when the promotion is competing for talent and visibility against the UFC and other MMA organisations. Whether Nurmagomedov, who carries one of the sport’s most recognisable surnames as the cousin of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, chooses to remain or test the open market could have significant implications for the PFL’s lightweight division and its broader profile heading into 2026.