Another Merab Dvalishvili fight, another opponent torn apart 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 via brutal cardio. He humiliated Nurmagomedov in the final rounds for a shutout decision victory.
Despite Nurmagomedov believing he won the fight, fans aren't sure if we should see a rematch immediately. The consensus is that Nurmagomedov should fight his way back into contention. After all, he only had one ranked win before fighting for the title.
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
Merab Dvalishvili thinks the 'humble' Umar Nurmagomedov will fight for the title again
Dvalishvili is optimistic about Nurmagomedov's chances of appearing in 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 welterweight champion older than 34 years old.
Time is on Nurmagomedov's side and Dvalishvili is confident his humiliation at UFC 311 will do him good.
“I am sure he will continue his winning streak,” Dvalishvili said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “And I'm sure he will fight for the title again. He is young and I am sure he is humiliated now.”
Merab Dvalishvili overcame a gruesome leg injury during the fight at UFC 311
While Nurmagomedov claims a broken hand affected his performance at UFC 311, Dvalishvili has an even more dramatic injury story. Dvalishvili had to trick the committee into letting him fight after reportedly breaking his back and overcoming a stomach-churning leg injury in preparation for the fight.
Dvalishvili claims he fooled the committee by showing them his healthy leg twice while hiding his injury.
It's not for the faint of heart.
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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According to ESPN's Mike Coppinger, the head of the California State Athletic Commission, Andy Foster, “absolutely” knew about Dvalishvili's leg and it had “healed enough.” Dvalishvili's story should therefore be taken with a grain of salt.
Andy Foster, the head of the California State Athletic Commission, said the commission was “absolutely aware of the cut on his right leg and that it had healed sufficiently.” Said there was a reason the committee investigated his shins in the first place; not a normal part of the exam. https://t.co/pERhqyNgCr
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) January 20, 2025
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