Daniel Cormier discusses the career pressure facing Umar Nurmagomedov

Daniel Cormier defended Umar Nurmagomedov following his knockout loss to Song Yadong at UFC Fight Night 286 in Shanghai. Cormier highlighted the immense pressure surrounding Nurmagomedov due to his family name and his association with teammates Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. Despite the recent setback in China, Cormier noted that the 20-2 fighter remains a high-level competitor capable of climbing back into title contention. Nurmagomedov previously fell short in a title fight against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311 but earned victories over Mario Bautista and Deiveson Figueiredo. A win against Song could have positioned him for a potential opportunity following the upcoming trilogy bout between Petr Yan and Dvalishvili at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi.

• 2:30 PMYahoo Sports — Daniel Cormier credits Umar Nurmagomedov for trying to live up to Khabib's name