Merab Dvalishvili once again silenced the doubters with another huge win, handing Umar Nurmagomedov his first career loss at UFC 311.
Coming into the fight, Merab Dvalishvili was the underdog despite being the reigning champion and was left out of consideration by the majority of fans and experts.
'The Machine' once again showcased his weaponized cardio, dominating rounds three, four and five, retaining his bantamweight title.
After the fight, Dvalishvili made a crazy claim that he broke his back during his training camp, while also pulling back the curtain on his terrible shin injury.
READ MORE: 'I Was Wrong'… Henry Cejudo Reluctantly Names UFC 311 Star 'GOAT' Of His Own Division After Picking Against Him
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Merab Dvalishvili explains how he fooled the committee ahead of UFC 311
Although Nurmagomedov used the excuse of breaking his hand in the first round, it was Dvalishvili's injury problems that put this fight in jeopardy ahead of UFC 311.
Not far into their fight, the Georgian suffered a brutal injury to his shin that required stitches and subsequently led to an infection that left him without the use of his right leg for much of his camp.
Merab Dvalishvili has posted footage and a photo of the leg injury he suffered ahead of his fight against Umar Nurmagomedov at #UFC311. 😬
Merab is the man. Great champion! pic.twitter.com/5U77XP0ynE
— Parry Punch (@ParryPunchNews) January 21, 2025
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The fight took place in Inglewood, California and was sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission, which is considered one of the stricter commissions.
Before his fight, the champion was afraid that the committee would not let him fight if they saw the condition of his shin, which had only partially healed from his injury.
And with that, Dvalishvili explained how he channeled his inner Michael Bisping and fooled the committee during exams.
“California has a very strict commission and they check everything on your body,” Merab began to explain in an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show.
“On Thursday (before the fight) I had my pants on and the commission guy asked me to show him my legs and shins. So I lifted up my pants and showed him my shin on my left leg, and he kept talking.
“And when he asked me a second time to show him the other leg, I showed him my left leg again and he didn't realize he never clocked. Who knows, maybe I could get through it (if I showed him my right leg, but I didn't want to risk it),” he continued.
What's next for Merab Dvalishvili after UFC 311?
Dvalishvili is on a historic run in the bantamweight division and currently has the longest winning streak in the division's history.
During his UFC 311 appearance, 'The Machine' also broke Georges St-Pierre's UFC record for most takedowns.
As the Georgian continues to establish himself as the greatest bantamweight of all time, he will likely defend his title against Sean O'Malley in a major rematch.
O'Malley attended UFC 311 with his coach, Tim Welch, who has an ongoing rivalry with Dvalishvili and his team.
Although 'Suga' has not recorded another victory since losing the title to Merab at UFC 306, UFC boss Dana White recently hinted that the star will be the next challenger.
Despite only receiving a seven-day medical suspension, Dvalishvili will likely spend some time away from the Octagon to fully heal the injuries he sustained in his fight against Nurmagomedov.
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