Another exciting year of MMA action kicks off with a fairly standard Fight Night card on January 11, before the promotion returns to LA on January 18 for UFC 311: Makhachev vs Tsarukyan.
Both the main event and co-main event of that first 2025 PPV are expected to be an exciting affair; although a former UFC champion believes Umar Nurmagomedov should lose the bantamweight title fight.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Merab Dvalishvili warned Umar Nurmagomedov to 'beat him everywhere'
Former UFC Middleweight Champion and future Hall of Famer Luke Rockhold certainly knows what it takes to claim undisputed glory; and he also knows when the writing is on the wall for a big upset.
While Makhachev will take on Arman Tsarukyan in the main event of UFC 311, the co-main event will see Merab Dvalishvili take on the 'new generation' of Dagestani superstars; Omar Nurmagomedov.
“Umar is the next generation where he is so fluid and so creative,” Rockhold praised on a recent episode of the JAXXON Podcast, even claiming that Umar has everything that predecessor Khabib had and more.
“This is a tough match,” the former champion noted, explaining how while Dvalishvili is “a tough, hard-nosed guy” to understand, Nurmagomedov must lose this title fight.
“I think Umar can win there. Umar can beat him absolutely anywhere… He can beat him, and then Merab can come rushing in; Umar can oppose him and go after him. I'm telling you, he's really better than him everywhere.
“I mean Merab can have a wrestling advantage one way or another… It will come down to determination.”
Rockhold, who now competes in Karate Combat and BKFC, shared how despite an initial tilt towards the Georgian, the nuances of the upcoming bantamweight title fight all stacked up in the Russian's favor.
“When you think about it, you think, 'Oh, that's a tough match for Umar,' but when you really start looking at it, and you think he's going to beat Merab, and then Merab gets frustrated, so he shoots Like Umar counter him, he'll probably get into a dominant position and then they'll go back up – I don't see that fight going any other way.”
Islam Makhachev admits Umar had an easier path to his UFC title
Via 'Yukah MMA', lightweight champion Islam Makhachev admitted that Umar has been blessed with a much shorter path to his UFC title than he or the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov has experienced.
“I wouldn't say his road is very long. For example, I had to win 10 fights before fighting for the title, Khabib had to win a lot of fights for years before the UFC gave him a title shot.
“Umar fights, he talks – he calmly gives interviews in English, I think his chance is not far away… People avoided him, but I think this problem will be solved in the new year.”
When asked why the UFC apparently ignores Russian fighters with long winning streaks when it comes to title chances, Islam had a particularly good point.
“That is not a question for us, but for the organization – its job is to make money, to give the fighters a chance to be promoted. The American public buys the most [PPV] broadcasts, watches most, it is popular [over there]it is understandable.”
UFC 311 airs live from LA on Saturday, January 11.
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