Usman Nurmagomedov couldn’t be happier with his preparation for the Bellator Champions Series: San Diego main event, and he thinks it’s going to result in a dominant performance.
Nurmagomedov (17-0) returns to competition for the first time in 11 months Saturday when he puts his lightweight championship on the line against Alexandr Shabliy (24-3) at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, Calif. The entire card streams on Max.
The longest break of Nurmagomedov’s career was a result of a suspension from the California State Athletic Commission after he tested for a banned substance that resulted in his Bellator 300 win over Brent Primus being overturned. He took a prescription medication he claims unknowingly contained a substance that led to the positive test, but has maintained his innocence against any attempt to cheat for performance-enhancing purposes.
