UFC bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov may return to the Octagon sooner than expected after suffering a broken hand over the weekend.
Umar Nurmagomedov's bid to become the latest UFC champion as part of Team Khabib fell short at UFC 311 against Merab Dvalishvili last Saturday. Despite entering the Octagon as a modest favorite, Nurmagomedov struggled to fend off pressure from Dvalishvili as the fight dragged on, ultimately losing by unanimous decision.
Nurmagomedov revealed in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan that he believed he hurt his hand against Dvalishvili in the UFC 311 co-main event. His coach, Javier Mendez, later revealed that Nurmagomedov's corner was unaware of his hand injury as they communicated between rounds.
It was originally feared that Nurmagomedov would not be able to return to the Octagon until late 2025, but his manager Ali Abdelaziz delivered good news in a recent statement on social media.
Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC
Umar Nurmagomedov is expected to return by the end of the summer after hand surgery
“Umar will have surgery on his hand tomorrow, he will be back in the cage mid or after the summer,” Abdelaziz tweeted on Tuesday.
Nurmagomedov believes he deserved the win on the judges' scorecards at UFC 311 over Dvalishvili. Many fans and experts believed that Nurmagomedov won the first two rounds of the fight, while Dvalishvili's pace and pressure led to him taking the last three.
Umar, the cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, was undefeated in his first 18 professional fights prior to the UFC 311 co-main event. He has recent victories over Cory Sandhagen and Bekzat Almakhan during his meteoric rise to the title.
After losing for the first time in his career, Nurmagomedov will look to get back on track this summer with his next appearance in the Octagon. Sean O'Malley, who lost to Dvalishvili at UFC 306 in September, may be a good fit for his returning opponent.
Umar Nurmagomedov gets some good news as he pursues Merab Dvalishvili's rematch
In his first UFC title fight, Nurmagomedov was a modest favorite against titleholder Dvalishvili at UFC 311. But Dvalishvili defeated Nurmagomedov on the feet and on the ground, despite some heavy shots during the first two rounds of the fight.
Nurmagomedov defeated the likes of Raoni Barcelos, Nate Maness and Brian Kelleher en route to the bantamweight Top 15. Before Nurmagomedov debuted in the UFC in January 2021, he enjoyed brief stints in PFL and Fight Nights Global.
If all goes well with Nurmagomedov's hand surgery and recovery, he could be in for another big fight by the end of the summer. A win on his return could be enough to earn a rematch with Dvalishvili after their 'Fight of the Year' contendership.
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