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Merab Dvalishvili On Support After UFC Title Win: ‘If There Was An Election Now, I Could Become The Georgian President!’

UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili may be a polarizing figure among MMA fans, but there’s little doubt about public opinion when it comes to his home country. Dvalishvili is fast approaching his first defense of the 135-pound gold. “The Machine” will meet the opening hurdle of his reign in the co-main event of UFC 311 […]

UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili may be a polarizing figure among MMA fans, but there’s little doubt about public opinion when it comes to his home country.

Dvalishvili is fast approaching his first defense of the 135-pound gold. “The Machine” will meet the opening hurdle of his reign in the co-main event of UFC 311 this weekend, where the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov awaits.

The clash comes just four months on from Dvalishvili’s crowning, which was at the expense of Sean O’Malley inside the Sphere last September.

Like many new champs, the Georgian soon headed home with his newly won championship belt in tow. And the bantamweight kingpin got a hero’s welcome when he arrived and paraded his title around atop a bus.

Dvalishvili is feeling similar support days out from his first defense, as he explained during a fight week interview with Simon Head for UFC.com. He went as far as to suggest he could get elected as the Georgian leader if he were interested in politics.

“Once I stepped out from the plane, the police and the people, everybody, (they were) so happy and proud of me,” Dvalishvili said. “It doesn’t matter, young people, old ladies, everybody was watching, everybody was happy, because this is a big deal. Me, as a Georgian guy, fighting in the U.S., then fighting in the UFC, and then becoming UFC champion. That was huge.

“I think if there was an election now, I could become the Georgian president! I’m serious! But I stay away from politics, because politics is dirty and it’s a lot of drama,” Dvalishvili continued. “I want to do what I know – that’s fighting, and that’s what I’m best at.”

Dvalishvili will be hoping to maintain his status as champ for his next visit home. That will no doubt be a tall task, with his unbeaten challenger at UFC 311 set to make the walk inside Inglewood’s Intuit Dome as the favorite.

But the Georgian has never shied away from underdog status and firmly expects to make a statement by blemishing the currently perfect record of Nurmagomedov.

UFC 311 Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan, Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov, & More

UFC 311 is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for this weekend’s lineup. The upcoming pay-per-view takes place Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6 […]

UFC 311 is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for this weekend’s lineup.

The upcoming pay-per-view takes place Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 6 PM ET/3 PM PT.

Topping the lineup will be reigning UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev, who is tasked with getting the better of a familiar foe in Arman Tsarukyan if he’s to record a fourth successful title defense.

Before they go to battle, the co-main event will see another champ in action as Merab Dvalishvili returns to defend his bantamweight gold for the first time. To ensure his reign survives its first hurdle, “The Machine” must stall the title ambitions of undefeated challenger Umar Nurmagomedov.

Also set to make the walk on Saturday will be the likes of former two-time light heavyweight champions Ji?í Procházka and Jamahal Hill, veteran lightweight contender Beneil Dariush, and the always entertaining Kevin Holland.

UFC 311: Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan 2 Betting Odds

Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC 311 (as of 1/15), courtesy of DraftKings.

Main Card:

  • Islam Makhachev (-410) vs. Arman Tsarukyan (+320)
  • Merab Dvalishvili (+270) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (-340)
  • Ji?í Procházka (-102) vs. Jamahal Hill (-118)
  • Beneil Dariush (+145) vs. Renato Moicano (-175)
  • Kevin Holland (-108) vs. Reinier de Ridder (-112)

Preliminary Card:

  • Bogdan Guskov (-310) vs. Billy Elekana (+250)
  • Payton Talbott (-1200) vs. Raoni Barcelos (+750)
  • Jailton Almeida (-425) vs. Serghei Spivac (+330)
  • Zachary Reese (+185 vs. Azamat Bekoev (-225)

Early Preliminary Card:

  • Grant Dawson (-258) vs. Diego Ferreira (+210)
  • Karol Rosa (-258) vs. Ailín Pérez (+210)
  • Rinya Nakamura (-500) vs. Muin Gafarov (+380)
  • Ricky Turcios (+270) vs. Benardo Sopaj (-340)
  • Tagir Ulanbekov (-340) vs. Clayton Carpenter (+270)

UFC Veteran Explains Why KO Loss Doesn’t Count Against Islam Makhachev In Lightweight GOAT Debate

When it comes to UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev surpassing the greatness of his coach and friend Khabib Nurmagomedov, one former fighter doesn’t think his failure to remain unbeaten comes into play. Makhachev, who in 2022 completed his team’s plans for him to become a successor to Khabib’s reign, is nearing his attempt to make […]

When it comes to UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev surpassing the greatness of his coach and friend Khabib Nurmagomedov, one former fighter doesn’t think his failure to remain unbeaten comes into play.

Makhachev, who in 2022 completed his team’s plans for him to become a successor to Khabib’s reign, is nearing his attempt to make history as the 155-pound kingpin.

After equaling a number of records with his victory over Dustin Poirier last June, the Dagestani could surpass both “The Eagle” and BJ Penn for most lightweight title fight wins and successful defenses when he collides with Arman Tsarukyan in the UFC 311 main event this weekend.

Should Makhachev achieve that feat, debates over his standing in the GOAT conversation at 155 pounds will only intensify. The one aspect some might say works in favor of Khabib? The one defeat on the current champ’s record.

But during an episode of MMA Fighting’s The Fighter vs. The Writer, former UFC welterweight Matt Brown dismissed any suggestion that Makhachev’s knockout loss to Adriano Martins a decade ago affects his claim to top spot.

“I think Islam — if he beats Arman — he’s still in that phase where there’s some debate,” Brown said. “For me, personally, the losses don’t take away from that. You can’t say (Makhachev) had a loss and (Khabib) didn’t. You lose when you fight above your level. If Khabib would have fought BJ Penn for his debut pro fight, BJ probably would have beat him.

“If you’re fighting guys at your level or below, you win, and if you fight guys above your level, you lose,” Brown continued. “When you get to the top, now you’re fighting for the title, you’re the best in the world, now it comes to title defenses for the greatest of all-time. We certainly have to put Islam in that conversation. If anything, the loss shows me you can work through some adversity.”

Makhachev will look to ensure he avoids doubling his record’s loss count Saturday night at Inglewood’s Intuit Dome.

To do so, he must repeat his past victory over a much improved and developed Tsarukyan, who is out for redemption and a title crowning of his own.

Scouts Honor! Merab Dvalishvili Promises Not to Kiss UFC 311 Opponent Umar Nurmagomedov

Scouts Honor! Merab Dvalishvili Promises Not to Kiss UFC 311 Opponent Umar NurmagomedovMerab Dvalishvili promises there won’t be any funny business when he puts his bantamweight belt on the line for…

Scouts Honor! Merab Dvalishvili Promises Not to Kiss UFC 311 Opponent Umar Nurmagomedov

Merab Dvalishvili promises there won’t be any funny business when he puts his bantamweight belt on the line for the first time.

The Machine’ returns to the Octagon at UFC 311 this Saturday night when the promotion heads back to the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. There, Dvalishvili will square off with undefeated Dagestani sensation Umar Nurmagomedov.

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Nurmagomedov earned his first title opportunity with a unanimous decision victory over Cory Sandhagen, but ever since winning the 135-pound crown, Dvalishvili has insisted that Nurmagomedov hasn’t accomplished nearly enough to justify his spot in this weekend’s co-main event.

Speaking with Bloody Elbow, Dvalishvili echoed that same sentiment.

“Nurmagomedov is actually cocky. That’s his problem,” Dvalishvili said. “He thinks that he got this one easy, but he never faced me. And believe me he will know on the night. He will realize that he’s going to fight me and he will be humble. I have never said that he’s not a good fighter. I say he’s a good fighter, but he takes shortcuts, you know. He cheated a little bit because he was fighting nobodies and guys on their debut. And then from debut guy, he fought number two, you know, that’s, that’s a gift and that’s a shortcut. And that’s not how you want to earn your title fight.

“That’s not right. In my opinion, he was supposed to fight one more. Maybe against Song Yadong. But once the UFC asked me, I said, okay, I will fight him. But I wanted to fight in February or March. But that’s what I said. Why don’t I like him? Because he called me a fake champion. Also, he was disrespectful towards my country.”

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Merab Dvalishvili promises no shenanigans, just punches in UFC 311 title fight

Dvalishvili claimed the bantamweight title in September with a lights-out performance against ex-champion ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 in Las Vegas.

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While the Georgian’s performance was fairly dominant, there were a handful of head-scratching moments, all of them perpetrated by ‘The Machine.’ Perhaps the strangest one came in the waning seconds of the second round when Dvalishvili planted a few kisses on the back of O’Malley while fishing for a guillotine choke.

This time around, Dvalishvili promises there won’t be any mid-fight smooches … Just punches.

“No kiss, just punch!” Dvalishvili said.

Ex-Champion Questions Whether Arman Tsarukyan Can Keep His Emotions in Check at UFC 311

Ex-Champion Questions Whether Arman Tsarukyan Can Keep His Emotions in Check at UFC 311Arman Tsarukyan could become a UFC world champion this week. But only if he can manage his emotions during…

Ex-Champion Questions Whether Arman Tsarukyan Can Keep His Emotions in Check at UFC 311

Arman Tsarukyan could become a UFC world champion this week. But only if he can manage his emotions during what will be the biggest fight of his combat sports career thus far.

Emanating from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, UFC 311 will be headlined by a lightweight title tilt as reigning 155-pound king Islam Makhachev puts his gold up for grabs against Tsarukyan, the division’s top-ranked contender. It will be Tsarukyan’s first time competing since scoring a split-decision win over former titleholder Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in April.

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But despite the win over ‘Do Bronx’ being the biggest of his career thus far, all anyone seems to remember is Tsarukyan’s walkout for the fight.

As he exited the backstage area and made his way into the arena, Tsarukyan was met by a fan who flipped him the middle finger. Shockingly, ‘Ahalkalakets’ threw a punch at the individual before continuing his walk to the Octagon. Following the event, he was slapped with a $25,000 fine and a nine-month suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

‘The Count’ questions Arman Tsarukyan’s temperament ahead of UFC 311

Offering his take on this Saturday’s headliner, former middleweight champion Michael Bisping believes Tsarukyan’s temperament could play a big role in his clash with Makhachev.

“The one thing that is slightly concerning me for Arman Tsarukyan is the mindset,” Bisping told TNT Sports. “The last time he walked out, he punched someone in the crowd… that tells me about your temperament and your ability to handle emotions in these big, big fights and that can be a game changer.”

Hopefully, Tsarukyan has learned his lesson, or he could be leaving The City of Angels empty-handed.

This weekend’s lightweight title fight will be the second-ever meeting between Makhachev and Tsarukyan, the first coming nearly six years ago at UFC on ESPN+ 7 when Tsarukyan was making his promotional debut. On that night, Makhachev came out on top via unanimous decision.

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Since then, Tsarukyan has won nine of his last 10, skyrocketing him to the top of the division and putting him in place to not only claim his first world title but to also avenge one of only two losses inside the Octagon.

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Midnight Mania: Diaz Points Finger At Clout-Chasing ‘Ewalks’

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight! Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Just over a month ago, there was a minor altercation between Team Diaz and Team …


UFC 310: Mitchell v Gracie
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Just over a month ago, there was a minor altercation between Team Diaz and Team Nurmagomedov during the UFC 310 Fight Week. As has been known to happen around the Diaz brothers, water bottles were soon flying through the air. Chucking water bottles is a known tactic among that crew, but thankfully, the situation did not escalate further.

Islam Makhachev addressed the situation about a week ago. Per the UFC Lightweight kingpin, there’s no substantial beef between he and Diaz, who is actually a pretty respectful guy when the cameras aren’t around. He even claims that they had a cordial interaction in an elevator at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Diaz doesn’t share that recollection. He denies the elevator meet up ever occurred, and he is adamant that Team Nurmagomedov threw the first water bottle back at the UFC 311 presser. Furthermore, Diaz labels the opposing crew clout-chasing “ewalks,” accompanied by a picture of Ewoks from Return of the Jedi.

“WTH goin on I didn’t even know Islam was there,” Diaz wrote in response on social media. “I don’t even know wich one he is I was just there to corner my boy and these ewalks thru a bottle at me looking for clout wtf did I do lol And I never saw this guy in an elevator wtf i thought religious people didn’t lie wtf is happening?And wtf happened to champ all you had to do was say yes champ I gotta go.”

The beef between the Nurmagomedov and Diaz fight camps goes back all the way to 2015, and it doesn’t seem likely to end now. More to the point, however, is the simple fact that Makhachev and team mate Umar Nurmagomedov are fighting for world titles atop the first pay-per-view (PPV) event of the year, whereas the top Diaz camp representative in the Octagon currently is … Kron Gracie?

I don’t think the Dagestan crew is losing sleep over this “rivalry.”

Insomnia

Punahele Soriano has jokes!

Patricio Pitbull mentioned the word union and was released within a couple hours. I hope UFC picks him up!

Flyweight banger on the way. It’s good to have young blood at 125-pounds!

Umar Nurmagomedov was having a bit of difficulty with Cory Sandhagen’s low kicks in round one, but the Russian talent adjusted well.

Eddie Alvarez is a top-notch negotiator.

David Onama will get a shot at ranked opposition after his current three-fight win streak over the likes of Jonathan Pearce and Gabriel Santos.

A fun thread to look through:

Slips, rips, and KO clips

SUMO!

71 seconds of chaos.

Don’t let your dreams be dreams … unless that dream is to throw the lowest cartwheel kick of all time in a professional fight.

Random Land

I need to post all the random TikTok clips I have saved for this column before it shuts down in the US next week.

Midnight Music: Alternative, 1987

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.