“He will be a champion. Umar, congratulations, brother, ”Makhachev wrote on the social network.
“It was a statement,” Nurmagomedov wrote. “Diamonds are made under high pressure. It’s time to shine, brother”
“If you didn’t know, now you know. Business is moving,” the former UFC champion added, posting a joint photo of Umar with UFC President Dana White and the league’s chief matchmaker, Sean Shelby.
The bantamweight bout between Umar Nurmagomedov and Raoni Barcelos, which became part of the main card of the event, ended at 4:40 of the first round after the Russian broke through a series that began with a kick to the body and sent the Brazilian to a dead knockout.
At the end of the tournament, Nurmagomedov was among the fighters who received $50,000 each for Performance of the Night, and also announced that he plans to return to the octagon on March 4 at UFC 285 in Las Vegas.