UFC lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov has been absent from the octagon since a three-round domination of Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on FOX 11 in April.

The cause of that absence is due to his religion, as Nurmagomedov (22-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) celebrates Ramadan on a yearly basis. The stringent nature of that celebration means he’s unable to compete in the summer months, but according to manager Mike Constantino, the 25-year-old will be ready to return to the octagon in September.

“Khabib is ready to go from September on,” Constantino told MMAjunkie. “He had the Ramadan committed, so he couldn’t accept any fights.”

Nurmagomedov is among the UFC’s most highly touted talents. His flawless record speaks for itself, and he has yet to have a round scored against him since joining the UFC roster in January 2012.

Nurmagomedov is a rising star at 155 pounds, and Constantino would like to see him treated as such. While there were hopes Nurmagomedov’s fall return would come against former UFC champion Benson Henderson, the timing for that fight appears to be off with “Smooth” headlining UFC Fight Night 49 against Rafael dos Anjos on August 23 in Tulsa.

Constantino is adamant his client will accept all comers, but he believes there are limited matchups that make sense for Nurmagomedov, and Henderson was one of them.

“I was really hoping for Ben Henderson,” Constantino said. “He destroyed Rafael dos Anjos, then they gave him to Ben. What else is left for Khabib? He’ll fight anybody. He made it very clear he’ll fight anybody you put in front of him. I’m waiting to see what they have planned for him. My phone’s not going to ring and you’ll hear a ‘No’ on my end. He’ll fight anyone.

“Whoever they propose, he’ll fight. I think he’s clearly, clearly proven himself and that he’s ready to move up in challenges toward the belt. He’s undefeated for the length of his career and you’ll see in the UFC, he has finished people. He has manhandled the guys he’s won decisions on. Pat Healy, he picked him over his head and walked across the octagon and slammed him. RDA, he destroyed him. Thiago Tavares, he knocked him out. He’s an animal. He deserves an opportunity to keep marching toward the belt.”

With the Henderson fight off the table for the time being, it’s hard to determine which direction UFC matchmaker Joe Silva will go with the undefeated fighter from Dagestan.

It’s possible he could face the winner of Jim Miller vs. Donald Cerrone, who collide in the UFC Fight Night 45 main event next month in Atlantic City, N.J.

Constantino also the manager of Miller, and while he would like to avoid a Miller fight with Nurmagomedov if possible, he says clients fighting each other is becoming an increasingly common part of the game.

More importantly, though, Constantino believes Nurmagomedov is slightly above Miller and Cerrone in the lightweight pecking order. Because of that, he would like to see “The Eagle” fight someone that will move him forward in the rankings, not keep him in the same spot.

“I would hate for it to happen,” Constantino said of a potential Nurmagomedov vs. Miller matchup. “However, it is part of the nature of the beast. The reality of it is, those two fighters are both ranked behind Khabib. That’s why it made sense to do Khabib and Ben Henderson. They’re both higher ranked. You never want to take a step backwards in the rankings because then you put yourself into in a tough position. You always want to fight the guy ahead of you.”

The two fighters clearly ahead of Nurmagomedov at this point are divisional kingpin Anthony Pettis and No. 1 contender Gilbert Melendez, who will fight for the title this December after a coaching stint on Season 20 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Pettis has been out of action since August of this past year and has yet to defend his title since taking it from Henderson at UFC 164. While an argument could be made that Nurmagomedov deserves a shot at the title right now, the inactivity and timetable of the champion would mean a lengthy layoff.

Constantino says Nurmagomedov has no interest in waiting around and is eager to continue to prove his worth as one of the top lightweights in the world.

“I made it clear: Khabib will fight anyone; they just need to get him the right offer,” Constantino said. “The lightweight division is log-jammed, the champion isn’t active, so it’s time to just get these guys fights and keep them moving.”

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