ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto speaks with Umar Nurmagomedov about Sean O’Malley’s win vs. Marlon Vera to defend his …

what’s up guys Brett okamoto from ESPN joined today by UFC bandam weight Umar nurmagamedov who just told me that he’s joining us from the US he’s a little bit jet lagged um I’ll be honest I thought you I thought I was going to catch you like in Dubai or Russia is that is that mostly the three places you are these days Russia us maybe a little bit of Dubai or how are you splitting up your time Omar uh yes I was like one day in Dubai because of transit for fly and the feeling not bad but one day I want to sleep one night I want to do something you know just this problem yeah yeah is just jet leg like I think couple days it’s gonna be nice I I I will change my time nice thing is that it goes away but it is no it is no fun are you what uh are you in San Jose hm are you in San Jose is that where you are no I come back I come back I come to Russia I in Russia in m in dagistan oh okay okay so you were in the US yes yes I was in Vegas I was in Vegas and I come back what what were you uh so obviously you were here for Vegas for the fight and then you were just kind of hanging out for a little bit okay that was it um did you catch UFC 299 then did you happen to watch it yeah I was watching I was watching uh I was watching uh all main events cards I was watching like P fight I was watching like with Cho and it was very nice fight and I was excited I was uh I was little bit uh surprised when petan and S beginning wrestle two boxing guys they begin wrestle and wrestling helped them to win know first round because of grappling and P like they they they they just win because of takedowns and control like on canas you know and I was surprised it about Cheo fight and I was not surprised yet I told before fight like when I was fighting in my like press conference it’s gonna be like that Cho gonna Cho need like to Cho beginning to fight too long you know he beginning to fight later like in last rounds and he did too like he beginning fight in five round try to do something you know and when he beginning push push when he beginning go ahead he he can do something you know he he he he punch him he he he doing better than just stay and give work did you feel like uh because you’re right you basically did call the fight and you said that Shawn was was going to dominate and uh even though it was back and forth a little bit it was dominant 50 to 45 he he won every round did you feel like you learned anything about om Ali what did you learn uh if you will if you will work on distance and you want to do some like distance work with him like boxing or kick kickboxing he GNA he can catch you he can he can do his work great like you know he doing this very nice and you can’t you can’t stay with him and you can’t give him to work know if you want to beat Shan you have to go ahead you have to try him take down you have to find some close distance and punch him you know like but just staying and moving around him you can he have he’s he have two Rich arms and he have Rich legs and he can he no need come too close to you he can stay outside and try to punch like even if he will even if he will just give you kick it’s going to be score for him M I learn to this if you had to guess his level of wrestling because it’s kind of right now it’s it’s uh it’s almost like was what happened with like Conor you know when when he came up Conor McGregor he was coming up and people were like H how good is his wrestling how good is his wrestling he he always promised that it was there it would be there when it happens and like Sean’s done the same thing it’s like his wrestling’s better than than some people may think it is what would your guess be how good do you think the guy is at wrestling if you had to guess you know when I saw his fight with pan and P take him down I understand he’s not high level wrestler and he don’t have some like you know defense you don’t have I think and I think it’s going to be very difficult to learn if you want to wrestle from like a high level you have to like I don’t know like couple years you need this because wrestling just not this okay when you wrestle just wrestling you you turning wrestling it’s okay you know you’re waiting but when somebody like how doing with when somebody fight beat you and take down it’s different and it’s difficult it’s difficult to defense and I think it’s going to be very hard to beginning wrestle even like beginning to defense but we’ll see like this guy talented I think he we’ll see I don’t know how he going to do this but I’m very interested he’s fighting mirab because mirab gonna wrestle all night we know this but mirab don’t have control mirab can’t like take back mirab can’t hold someone dominate in the on the ground and it’s it’s just about how long he can take him down because I saw how can get up if he he will not him hold them there on the ground I think 100% going to get up and try to catch him like you know shoot him some good like knee or punch and maybe he he can like he can catch him I think maybe he he will beat him like by K so very interesting fight very it is very interesting I can’t wait for that fight um it sounds like you’re kind of leaning Shawn though if you had to pick right now would you pick Shawn H if you had to pick right now are you leaning that om Ali wins I don’t know I really don’t know who going to who going to who going to win but for if if you ask about like with who I want to fight and who I W to win I think my fight with gonna be more like more interesting for everyone than my fight with mirab but if you like depend if I will choose I’m gonna fight with both nobody gonna lose and I’m gonna fight with both because with Mir I have history white Papa with black Papa you know very interesting was like again like Irish guy going to fight with guy from dagistan you know like with Papa same like history like to two different world like know like and if if I I’m gonna test with both um did you think he was going to beat Alaine Sterling or were you surprised by that one H yes yes of course I was very surprised even you know I beginning think hey maybe not mob I’ll just sell his fight how it’s possible you know he he’s high level fighter and he go to take down like you know like immature I was very surprised and but this guy like you know was a very cold brain and catch him you know don’t nervous don’t like scare to stay distance and catch him maybe same same things going to happen with mirab too that’s why I’m I don’t want to say to 100% they’re I’m gonna beat because this guy can catch him he have power in his arm yep um did you see the interview where I talked to him and I asked him about you and and he said uh he said yeah I I hope he continues to become a superstar I want to fight him did you see that and what did you think of it yeah yeah I saw I saw this and when I went he talk about one story when I was uh in we was both on the uh fights that night fighting SEO and Alo and I I I saw time I have pray I have time for pray you know night pray and I go to restroom take Voodoo I have to before pray we have to wash hands arm and the face feet and when I washing when I doing woodoo he come inside like restroom and when he saw how I Feit how I wash my feet and then he he didn’t ask me nothing but after he talk about this and he said he was surprised this guy washing his feet in the restroom that time we talking a little bit I told him I saw I hear you talk about me like very good thanks so much I I hope we’re gonna fight he say too I respect you brother like we I hope he said I hope we’re gonna do like P second like much like this something and like you know before this he he said he gonna fight with me but we’re gonna see it’s uh I hope you know sometimes just talking very easy and when time’s coming some people doing different CH you know like even right now he talking about I tapur you know for me it’s not not make sense and gonna maybe kill this guy really because he he too big and right now IIA to too dangerous for him I think because he’s not like same because when you got when you go to up change weight okay for he gonna lose nothing just he healthy you know that’s why maybe he want to go up make some money even if he will lose he going to stay like he want to still champion in bant right he will not lose his maybe that’s why he going to go up but right now makes sense okay in our division he guy 11 win have to fight for for the title yeah yeah um so morab I I agree with you I think morab will fight next marel fight Sean next um what is next for you uh after your win earlier this month you said that they were already talking about Cory on International fight week was that that’s that’s kind of the plan and is that is that still the plan since uh you’re when yes yes for me it’s for me it’s uh you know I was have to fight with him and I pull out because of my injur and I’m gonna finish this I’m gonna everybody talk I’m everybody talk I’m scared to and that’s why I pull out and I want to prove it’s not like that and for me one of the I think one of the hard hard fight in my division is cor no nobody like fight like Cory he have he’s talented he have very good technique and I like this it’s it’s big challenge for me I want to fight if if I will choose of course I want to fight with Cory and I hope I hope to soon soonly they gonna tell me when I’m gonna fight because I want to beginning my training C I want to I want to like understand when I’m going to fly to us when I’m going to do my Camp there what I’m going to do here y you think it’s the hardest fight for you in the division yes I think yes I think it’s more hard than even om because Cory it’s very diff difficult he’s very he’s IQ very high level I think uh in your Tweet you said uh August 3 and uh that was interesting because you had said that like you you’d fight any time like has the UFC kind of indicated told you that maybe you’d fight on August 3D or why did you put August 3rd you know August 3rd gonna be not bad for me because it’s gonna be even if I will fight right now in June uh om and mirab gonna fight I think maximum September or like this time I I I don’t think going to rush and that’s why makes s for me too if I will I will take longer time it’s going to be good for healthy for my training camp and doesn’t matter for me doesn’t matter like I can fight but Abu Dhabi good place for me and there can come all my friends all my like families father can come to watch and uh I can train here at home in dagistan here have very very good training partners and it’s it’s better for me but I don’t care if they will give me eight June in us let’s go yeah and I would think that uh that’s it that’s a number one contenders fight obviously you and you and Corey fight your next fight would be for the championship that’s how you see it as well I hope I hope it’s going to be happen and I’m waiting I’m waiting uh I’m waiting uh sign when I’m going to sign contract I’m going to believe on this and I’m going to beginning preparing even I would fight I’m going to do some stretching I’m going to do like some you know exercise like run maybe I will do maybe just drills I’m going to beginning by tomorrow and we’ll see we’ll see I hope I hope like like how early going to sign is going to be better MH uh I can’t wait to see when you’re next is I can’t I I believe it’s going to be Cory you seem to think it’s Cory Cory seems to think it’s you so I yeah we’re just waiting for a date right now so the last thing I would ask you is do you think you’ll ever have any like um like khabib had enemies you know Connor was an enemy he had a big rivalry with Tony Ferguson even though they never fought they went back and forth and back and forth you know like your got your personality just so different you think you’ll you’ll have bad blood with an opponent ever Umar or do you think it’s always going to be pretty nice going going into a fight in my Division I didn’t see I I didn’t see anyone who I can beat with with dominate I didn’t see nobody I think I can mul all of them I really believe this and nobody uh nobody in my division had don’t have wrestling defense nobody don’t have like too high level like uh like striking I have very good striking too I can move I can strike and I can take down I can ground and P and I didn’t see nobody who can stop me and I believe this inshah I believe in this I am confident I believe myself and uh I will I will do how hard work I will do train for this go and I think one of the day like couple fights I’m gonna become Champion yeah the other part I meant though is that do you think there will rather be drama do you think you’ll be like at a press conference talking back and forth with one another and you know fighting before a fight you know how kab and con Conor they hated each other do you think you’ll ever hate somebody like like one of your opponents or do you think it’s always going to be just competition uh I didn’t I saw with the guys I saw with mirab I saw with om and with Alo I saw with p and with all all of these guys nobody uh like even me I didn’t say nothing about personality about like I okay I said about something and just talking about what going to be happen inside cage I didn’t talk about him outside you know about his family about his qualities personality and I they didn’t tell nothing too like Conor and khib I think it’s gonna be happen if somebody will beginning you know I I I’m not going to beginning talk about talk about some some people his family his religion like this I want to be respectful I want to be nice with people and I want to show I represent my religion and I can’t I can’t bully some people because of they like different because of they different we’re gonna see yeah we’re GNA see and I’m definitely not saying that you should but uh it was just funny because khabib was the same way he didn’t really start anything he just uh he was good at talking back but you’re too nice man I just don’t yeah you’re you’re nicer than khabib is huh thank you all right man well thank you so much for the time Umar and yeah I can’t wait to find out when the fight is dude thank you so much for sitting down with me thank you so much thanks so much [Applause] [Music] babe