'I'm sure he's humbled'… Merab Dvalishvili predicts Umar Nurmagomedov's future UFC title plans
01/21/2025 07:42 AM
Another Merab Dvalishvili fight, another opponent mauled by endless pressure.
‘The Machine’ entered UFC 311 as an underdog despite being the bantamweight champion. This didn’t stop Dvalishvili from handing Umar Nurmagomedov his first defeat through relentless cardio. He humiliated Nurmagomedov in the latter rounds for a shutout decision victory.
Despite Nurmagomedov believing he won the fight, fans aren’t sure we should see an immediate rematch. The consensus is that Nurmagomedov should fight his way back into contention. After all, he only had one ranked win before fighting for the belt.
Merab Dvalishvili thinks ‘humbled’ Umar Nurmagomedov will fight for belt again
Dvalishvili is optimistic about Nurmagomedov’s chances of entering the title picture in the future. At just 29 years old, Nurmagomedov boasts an impressive record of 18 wins and 1 loss. In contrast, Dvalishvili is approaching the challenging age of 35. There has never been a champion below welterweight older than 34.
Time is on Nurmagomedov’s side, and Dvalishvili is sure his humbling at UFC 311 will do him good.
“I’m sure he will continue his winning streak,” Dvalishvili said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “And I’m sure he will fight for the belt again. He’s young and I’m sure he’s humbled now.”
Merab Dvalishvili overcame gruesome leg injury to fight at UFC 311
While Nurmagomedov claims a broken hand impacted his performance at UFC 311, Dvalishvili has an even more gut-wrenching injury story. Dvalishvili had to trick the commission into letting him fight after allegedly breaking his back and overcoming a stomach-churning leg injury preparing for the fight.
Dvalishvili alleges he fooled the commission by showing them his healthy leg twice while concealing his injury.
It’s is not for the faint-hearted.
According to ESPN’s Mike Coppinger, California State Athletic Commission head Andy Foster “absolutely knew” about Dvalishvili’s leg and it “had healed enough.” As such, Dvalishvili’s story should be taken with a pinch of salt.
