Undefeated bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov is not surprised by Merab Dvalishvili's latest dismissal of him after UFC Macau.
Umar Nurmagomedov looked to secure No. 1 contender status after defeating Cory Sandhagen earlier this year. But since Merab Dvalishvili claimed the bantamweight throne, he remains on the outside looking in, in the eyes of the current title holder.
Dvalishvili watched his former rival, Petr Yan, defeat Deiveson Figueiredo by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC Macau. After beating Figueiredo, Yan made his case for the No. 1 contender and called on Dvalishvili for a rematch.
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Nurmagomedov, who has not competed since Sandhagen's victory, is not happy with Dvalishvili and has repeatedly accused him of avoiding a fight. Umar, the cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, wants to bring another championship to Dagestan.
Despite Nurmagomedov making a strong case to win the next bantamweight title, Dvalishvili's dismissals of him continued after UFC Macau. Dvalishvili offered Yan a title shot in a recent social media post, including a specific date for when the fight might be booked.
It didn't take long for Nurmagomedov to issue a series of responses to Dvalishvili's latest shunning.
Umar Nurmagomedov scolds Merab Dvalishvili over Petr Yan's title shot offer
In a series of posts on X, Nurmagomedov responded to Dvalishvili's generous offer to Yan.
Photos by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images, Christian Petersen/Getty Images
“No one is surprised,” Nurmagomedov wrote on X.
“Someone, please tell him it looks terrible. Umar can defeat him, that's why he avoids him.
“If I were him, I wouldn't want to fight me either. He is right to be afraid.”
At the time of writing, neither Dvalishvili nor Yan have responded to Nurmagomedov's comments. A few weeks ago, Dvalishvili accused Nurmagomedov of being unfair to fans over the ongoing fight discussions.
Merab Dvalishvili continues to push aside Umar Nurmagomedov after winning the UFC title
This isn't the first time Dvalishvil has dismissed Nurmagomedov's case for a bantamweight title. Ahead of UFC 306, Dvalishvili downplayed Nurmagomedov's win streak and accused the Dagestani of getting a title shot just because of his last name.
Dvalishvili has been wondering who he will face for his first defense of the bantamweight title. Just weeks after defeating Sean O'Malley at UFC 306, Dvalishvili appeared open to offering O'Malley an immediate rematch.
Nurmagomedov's stock soared with his victory over former interim bantamweight title challenger Sandhagen in Abu Dhabi. Before defeating Sandhagen, Nurmagomedov defeated the likes of Raoni Barcelos, Bekzat Almakhan and Brian Kelleher.
Dvalishvili won the bantamweight title after recent victories over former UFC champions Henry Cejudo and José Aldo. He hasn't lost a UFC fight since losing to Ricky Simon in 2018.
The UFC brass insists Nurmagomedov will get a title shot after his most recent victory. But Dvalishvili's latest antics could add more drama to the bantamweight title picture.
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