Though not facing the top five contender he pushed for, Umar Nurmagomedov has a chance to force himself into the top of the bantamweight division should he impressively beat UFC debutant Bekzat Almakhan at UFC Vegas 87.
In a fight that resembles his teammate Islam Makhachev's 2021 matchup with Thiago Moises, Nurmagomedov is taking a step back in opponent on paper due to his lack of finding a willing dance partner amid his dominant rise. As such, Nurmagomedov — the younger cousin of lightweight legend Khabib Nurmagomedov and older brother of former Bellator champion Usman Nurmagomedov — is the largest favorite of the card by a wide margin.