There's nothing like encouragement from one of the UFC's best pound-for-pound champions to ignite a competitor's passion.
UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria is confident that Georgian champion Merab Dvalishvili will come out on top at UFC 311.
Dvalishvili will face Dagestani phenom Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event of UFC 311. The two bantamweights hail from opposite sides of the Caucasus Mountains. This hasn't stopped Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov from trading barbs.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Ilia Topuria Tells Merab Dvalishvili He's Going to 'Eat' Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311
In a video shared by Georgian Fight Night on Instagram, Dvalishvili talks to Topuria on the phone. 'El Matador' is giving 'The Machine' his full support in his upcoming fight with Nurmagomedov.
'Are you ready? You will eat it,” Topuria said. 'You're going to eat him. I swear I watched his fights, you're so different. You'll eat it! Just go in there with the same mentality as always.”
Topuria referenced Dvalishvili's impressive takedown stats. He has the most takedowns in the bantamweight division with 85. The all-time leader in takedowns in the UFC is Georges St-Pierre with 90.
“. . . You are a record holder for takedowns in your division, throwing your opponents into the air. As soon as you get the chance, grab it, throw it in the air and teach it to wrestle. He knows nothing, he's nothing like you.
'You're the king, he has no experience. . . . I'll call you again to congratulate you!”
Since Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan fell through, Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov is one of the top level fights in the near future. However, Topuria's words ring true: there is a significant difference in experience between the two fighters.
Ilia Topuria is right about Umar Nurmagomedov's experience
Nurmagomedov earned a shot at the title by defeating Cory Sandhagen in a closely contested matchup in August 2024. Before that, he didn't have a single win over ranked opponent.
In fact, before I fought then, No. 3 Sandhagen, Nurmagomedov fought UFC debutant Bekzat Almakhan, receiving a knockdown.
On the other hand, Dvalishvili faced a cut-throat competition before dethroning Sean O'Malley at UFC 306. Dvalishvili's eleven-fight winning streak included wins over four current or former champions in a row: Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo and O'Malley.
None of these wins were even remotely competitive for Dvalishvili, who has overwhelmed his opponents since suffering back-to-back losses in his UFC debut.
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