Bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili will kick off his title reign when he meets undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov in the UFC 311 main event, but could it last only one fight?
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov preview
Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC), 33, claimed the 135-pound championship with a largely one-sided unanimous decision win over Sean O’Malley this past September at UFC 306. The victory moved Dvalishvili’s winning streak to 11 fights, which dates back to September 2018 and includes the likes of former champions Jose Aldo, Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo.
Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) has yet to taste defeat in his professional career, which began in December 2016. Although 28-year-old Nurmagomedov has been perfect, his resume is chalk full of unknown opponents. But he passed his first test with flying colors last August at UFC on ABC 27, where he outworked Cory Sandhagen to win their five-round main event by clear unanimous decision.
Nurmagomedov, 28, is fighting Dvalishvili, 33, despite recently revealing that he fractured his arm and saying January would be too soon. Nurmagomedov is the cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, who also serves as one of his coaches, and older brother to Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov.
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov odds
It’s not often that a sitting UFC champion enters a title fight as the betting underdog, but that’s the case here. Despite Dvalishvili being the clearly more accomplished fighter with the more impressive resume, the opening odds are in favor of Nurmagomedov to claim gold.
According to DraftKings, Nurmagomedov has opened as a -198 betting favorite, with Dvalishvili coming back as a +164 underdog.
How to watch Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311
- When: Saturday, January 18, 2025
- Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, Calif.
- Broadcast/streaming: ESPN+ pay-per-view
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.
