Ahead of his first UFC title shot, Umar Nurmagomedov has named his toughest test at 135 pounds.
Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) challenges bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) Jan. 18 in the UFC 311 co-headliner from Inglewood, Calif. (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
Nurmagomedov is a sizable -345 favorite over Dvalishvili, and doesn’t see the champion as his sternest challenge. Instead, he picked Cory Sandhagen, whom he defeated by unanimous decision in the UFC on ABC 7 headliner to become No. 1 contender.
“It’s going to be cocky if I say (Dvalishvili) is easy money,” Nurmagomedov told the UFC. “I think he’s not. He’s a good fighter. But hardest challenge in my division I think is Cory. This fight was hardest in my life.”
The 28-year-old is yet to taste defeat in his career and while he knows it’s always a possibility, he just doesn’t see Dvalishvili as the fighter to do it.
“He will not (beat me),” Nurmagomedov said. “I can’t imagine how he will beat me. He can’t hold me. OK, maybe he will take me down one time, but he has to hold me there. He can’t. He has to punch.
“It’s not going to be how he did always. I’m not the person who will go crazy. I can wrestle, too. Don’t forget about it, but I can finish you. If he gives me his back, I’m going to choke you. Be careful.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.
