‘Joker in the pack’ Davis plots Nurmagomedov downfallImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Alfie Davis has won 20 of his 26 fightsByPaul BattisonBBC Sport journalistPublished2 hours agoThere was a time when Alfie Davis would have been nervous about fighting Usman Nurmagomedov.Spearheaded by Usman’s cousin Khabib, the Nurmagomedov family and affiliated fighters in Russia form arguably the most dominant team in mixed martial arts history.Khabib and close friend Islam Makhachev’s reputations as two of the finest UFC champions of all time are already cemented, and they mentor Nurmagomedov – who is carving his own path to greatness.Unbeaten in 21 fights and the current PFL lightweight title holder, 27-year-old Nurmagomedov will defend his belt against Britain’s Davis in Dubai on Saturday.Davis has not always believed in himself, making the prospect of fighting someone like Nurmagomedov daunting. But his win against Gadzhi Rabadanov in August showed he can overcome the odds again.
“Now I’ve beaten one of the best guys in the world I can assure myself it’s doable,” Davis told BBC Sport.
“Usman’s 20-0 and everyone thinks I’m going to lose. So I’m like the joker in the pack.
“Just because he’s part of that team doesn’t mean he’s going to be as elite as Khabib or Islam.”
