[3][4] As a child, living in his native village, with his brother Umar Nurmagomedov, he began to attend freestyle wrestling practice at the age of eight.

[5][6][3] After moving to Makhachkala, Usman began training with his uncle, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov at the Eagles MMA camp.

There he gained sambo skills and trained alongside teammates such as his cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev.

[9] After winning his 11th professional fight in the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov Memory Tournament, Usman signed a multi-fight contract with Bellator.

Primarily using his significant reach advantage, Usman focused on throwing kicks and not letting Hamel get into range.

On March 10, 2023, Usman defended his title in the quarterfinal of the Grand Prix against former WEC and UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson at Bellator 292.

[20] In the semifinals, Nurmagomedov made his second title defense against former champion Brent Primus on 7 October 2023, at Bellator 300.

[21] He originally won the fight by unanimous decision but that result was overturned by CSAC when Nurmagomedov tested positive for a prescription drug that contained a banned substance.