| Venue: VTB Arena, Moscow, Russia Date: Saturday, 23 October |
| Coverage: Watch live coverage on BBC iPlayer from 17:00 BST |
Rising Bellator star Usman Nurmagomedov is convinced his cousin Khabib will go down as one of the best MMA coaches.
Khabib Nurmagomedov retired in 2020 as the reigning UFC lightweight champion with an undefeated 29-0 record.
Usman, who trains under Khabib in the United States, said: “I believe Khabib can definitely take that spot.
“Whatever he’s putting his mind to, normally he achieves that. In this case, I definitely believe he would be a better coach than he is a fighter.”
Bellator have high hopes for Usman, who fights this Saturday on home turf in Moscow at Bellator 269.
While Khabib is regarded as one of MMA’s best ever fighters, Usman is undefeated in his own pro career after 13 fights. He takes on Finland’s Patrik Pietila in Moscow.
“It doesn’t mean anything to me his last name,” Pietila said of his opponent.
“I love to be an underdog, prove people wrong and show them I’m the real deal. It’s nice to shut them up.”
The catchweight fight is third on the main card and although the spotlight is firmly on Usman because of his coach, the 23-year-old insisted he is not interested in competing with Khabib’s legacy.
“I don’t have a personal goal of overcoming and beating Khabib’s record,” he said.
“The goal to me is to stay undefeated. At the end of the day, I’ll always be known as Khabib’s [cousin], if you know what I mean.”
Also in action at Bellator Moscow is heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko, who headlines in a fight with Tim Johnson in what is expected to be one of his final bouts.
