Alexandr Shabliy’s Gold Rush

Nearly 10 months since his last fight and after a four-month delay in their first scheduled matchup, Alexandr Shabliy will finally get his chance at Bellator MMA lightweight gold when he challenges the undefeated Usman Nurmagomedov for the 155-pound title in the Bellator Champions Series 4 main event on Saturday at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.

On a nine-fight winning streak that has seen him put up a 5-0 record in Bellator, Shabliy has already posted victories over two former champions in Patricky Freire and Brent Primus. An injury to Nurmagomedov resulted in their initial date being postponed but did nothing to cool the competitive fire of the man who now opposes him.

“To be honest, time just flew by this time,” Shabliy told Sherdog.com. “It’s been almost a year since we originally started talking about it. I was originally planning for this in May, and then I just continued working out and training. For me, I just kept getting better and stronger, and I’m happy it’s finally here.”

Factors involved in the delay do not matter to Shabliy.

“I think he was not ready to fight in May for whatever reason,” he said. “Whether it’s medical [or some other reason], I think he’s not prepared. That’s why there was a delay, and now we will face each other in full health.”

Nurmagomedov has not fought since he took a unanimous decision from the aforementioned Primus at Bellator 300 on Oct. 7. The result was later overturned to a no contest when it was revealed that he had tested positive for a banned substance in a prescription drug.

“I believe in rules,” Shabliy said. “There are rules, and you need to follow them. I’ve followed rules on my end, but they were not necessarily followed on the other side. A lot of time has passed. I think both of us prepared, and at this point, I cannot wait to get in there and get it over with.”

Any showdown with Nurmagomedov comes with the narrative of his lineage attached. He and his brother, current Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov, train under cousin and former UFC lightweight titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov. The family has a history of producing undefeated fighters, as those three men sport a combined record of 64-0.

“While Usman, Umar and Khabib haven’t lost, there have been losses by that team,” Shabliy said. “Also, it’s not about giving him a defeat; it’s about me winning the belt. It’s the fact that he’s in front of me. I have to prove that I’m champion, and I want to get the belt. It’s nothing personal. For every fan who thinks he’s unbeatable, I’m here to prove otherwise.”

Regardless of opponent, Shabliy recognizes that becoming Bellator champion would cement his place among the best 155-pound fighters in the world. His path to Nurmagomedov started in the Bellator lightweight grand prix in 2023, prior to the company being sold to the Professional Fighters League. Shabliy hopes the promotion follows through and awards him a $1 million prize if he beats Nurmagomedov.

“Obviously, any fighter wants to become a champion and hold the belt,” he said. “For me, that’s the main goal right now. It’s not just about the belt for me. I also hope they’re going to honor their monetary prize, the $1 million. I hope that still is going to be happening. I put a lot of work into this tournament. The guys I defeated, they were serious fighters. That’s going to definitely be rewarding for all the hard work I put in.”