UFC 324’s preliminary card lit up the arena, with crazy knockouts, stoppages, and momentum swings. Although one highly anticipated bout did not deliver, it instead turned into a stalemate. Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin, Umar, sure did not get the fight he expected against Deiveson Figueiredo. Not only did the former flyweight champion miss weight for the bantamweight bout, but he also appeared reluctant to engage throughout the fight.

Umar Nurmagomedov did earn the decision victory, though the bout didn’t play out as anyone had hoped. When asked why Figueiredo refused to engage, Nurmagomedov wasn’t sure. The placement of the fight on the prelims quickly became a talking point, especially given the pedigree involved, leaving viewers frustrated and social media buzzing.

“I was expecting it was going to be harder, and it was easier than my sparring partners,” Nurmagomedov (20-1) said following Saturday’s contest, speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “Even then, Manel Kape gave me more hard times in the last months, and ‘Tiger,’ Magomed Magomedov.”

“I tried to do my best. I tried to fight like a killer, I tried to go ahead, but when your opponent’s not engaging, it’s a little hard to show a competitive fight,” he added.

With the lackluster win behind him, the question now turns to what’s next for Nurmagomedov. His immediate plans, however, are on hold as he observes Ramadan, while potential opponents like Petr Yan are already lining up. Yan seems to be awaiting a rematch with Merab Dvalishvili. The fighter proposed a matchup against the winner of Sean O’Malley versus Song Yadong at UFC 324, which later revealed O’Malley as the victor.

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UFC 324 prelim draws heavy fan criticism after a lackluster performance

While UFC 324 had its share of highlights, the Umar versus Figueiredo bout generated buzz for all the wrong reasons. The bout drew heavy attention for its lack of rhythm, which left viewers restless. The intended showcase turned into the most contentious display of the evening when social media users reacted with direct comments about the performance.

“It was embarrassing and reinforced the reality that Umar will never be able to beat Petr Yan or Merab.” Fans felt the slow tempo made it difficult to envision him matching Merab Dvalishvili’s pace or Petr Yan’s tactical depth at the top of the division. “Idk I zoned out, but that says a lot.” The lack of urgency surprised viewers, given the stakes and the presence of a former champion in the matchup.

The majority of fans were utterly disappointed with the fight. One fan went on to grade the fight and mocked its preliminary placement, “2/10, now we know why it was on the prelims haha.” Although the preliminary placement initially shocked many, even Max Holloway, the uneventful fight led some to feel the decision made sense. “Wasn’t a good fight, honestly, I put most of the blame on Figgy, guys in the point of his career where he just does nothing now.”

Despite coming off a win, Umar’s recent losses to current bantamweight contenders fueled the belief that his cautious approach reflected a later-career phase. “He did good you know, he’s obviously very talented. The problem is you need two to tango, and Figgy did absolutely nothing.” Some fans acknowledged the technical performance while pointing out that limited engagement prevented meaningful exchanges.

While the opinions varied in tone, the common thread was frustration. Fans weren’t questioning skill; they were reacting to a fight that never found rhythm, reminding everyone that even elite matchups can fall flat when timing, urgency, and engagement don’t align.