Merab Dvalishvili is set for the first defense of his UFC bantamweight title against undefeated contender Umar Nurmagomedov this Saturday at UFC 311 in Los Angeles.
In the buildup to the fight, heated accusations of disrespect have come from both camps.
The rivalry began when Nurmagomedov publicly called Dvalishvili a “fake champion” and made remarks about Dvalishvili’s native country of Georgia. Things escalated during a face-to-face confrontation at the UFC 311 news conference where Dvalishvili questioned Nurmagomedov about his disrespect and the two had to be separated by security. “I asked him why he disrespected me, and he said, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ That’s when I wanted to punch him,” Dvalishvili said.
Despite only having held the belt since September and recovering from a recent injury, Dvalishvili accepted the UFC’s offer to fight the undefeated Dagestani without hesitation. “I was tired of the disrespect. I had to take this fight," he said.
In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated’s Doug Vazquez, Dvalishvili opened up about how personal this fight has become. He emphasized that he doesn’t need trash talk to get motivated but felt that Nurmagomedov crossed the line. “I’ve always respected my opponents, but this time is different. He disrespected me and my country,” he explained.
While Dvalishvili minces no words when making his disdain for Nurmagomedov apparent, he respects the skills his opponent possesses inside the Octagon. “He’s well-rounded—good wrestling, good striking—but I’m ready for everything,” he said.
Looking beyond this fight, Dvalishvili plans to stay active in 2025. He mentioned being open to future title defenses in rematches with Sean O’Malley or Petr Yan. “I just want to keep fighting whoever deserves it,” he said.
As for Saturday night? Dvalishvili’s prediction was simple: “Good fight … and STILL!”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Merab Dvalishvili Seeks to Silence Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311.
