UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Merab Dvalishvili's recent outbursts can be attributed to the added pressure of winning a world title.
UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has had an eventful few months since winning the title at UFC 306. He has moved on from rejecting Umar Nurmagomedov's title claim and has agreed to face him at UFC 311, albeit after a heated build-up in recent weeks.
Following a backstage feud ahead of their first UFC 311 press conference, tensions are high between Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov. Things didn't get any better during the press conference, as the top two bantamweight fighters hijacked most of the microphone time.
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images
Khabib Nurmagomedov, Umar's cousin, knows a thing or two about heated fights and what it's like to be a world title holder. Many consider his rivalry with Conor McGregor to be one of the darkest feuds in combat sports history.
While the rivalry between Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov cannot be compared to the feud between Khabib and McGregor, it does add extra intrigue to the UFC 311 co-main event. After Dvalishvili had a relatively quiet build to his title victory over Sean O'Malley, he will enter the Octagon with a personal vendetta to stop Umar in his first title defense.
But Khabib believes Dvalishvili has already shown his hand ahead of UFC 311, and his recent fiery outbursts show he can't handle the championship expectations.
Khabib Nurmagomedov: Merab Dvalishvili 'can't handle' the spotlight of UFC champion
As shared by Red Corner MMA, Nurmagomedov weighed in on Dvalishvili's outbursts ahead of UFC 311.
“I think he behaved well when he started his career. When he became champion, he cannot deal with this,” Nurmagomedov said of Dvalishvili. “Because life changes. Before champion and after champion there are two lives. You have to deal with it.
“I think Umar deserves it. I don't know why Merab is nervous,” Nurmagomedov continued. 'Umar is not here because he is my cousin. He's here because he's 18-0 and 6-0 in the UFC. Umar wants to create his legacy. On January 18 he will show why Merab is nervous.” (h/t MMANews)
At the time of writing, Dvalishvili has not responded to Nurmagomedov's claims. He recently poked fun at Khabib, Umar and their inner circle by recreating an infamous jacuzzi photo.
Merab Dvalishvili is unusually excited ahead of the clash with Umar Nurmagomedov
The undefeated Umar will have Khabib in his corner for UFC 311 next month. In the run-up to UFC 311, Nurmagomedov defeated the likes of Cory Sandhagen, Raoni Barcelos and Bekzat Almakhan on his way to the title.
Dvalishvili is also on a long-term unbeaten run after beating O'Malley by unanimous decision to secure the title. Before defeating O'Malley, Dvalishvili scored top-level victories over former defending champions Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo and José Aldo.
It will be a busy night for Khabib as he coaches two of the card's top headliners at UFC 311. In the main event, Nurmagomedov's longtime teammate and friend Islam Makhachev will defend the UFC lightweight title in a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan.
Dvalishvili has the chance to prove Khabib, Umar and other opponents wrong in his upcoming defense of the first title. But for now, Khabib believes Dvalishvili's anger towards Umar shows he can't handle what comes with being a UFC titleholder.
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