Team Khabib was primed and ready for an “MMA takeover” at UFC 311.
Heading into the Jan. 18 pay-per-view (PPV) event in Los Angeles (get complete results and play-by-play here), undefeated bantamweight title contender, Umar Nurmagomedov, was favored to capture the 135-pound crown and even closed at -285 on the money line.
I guess Merab Dvalishvili didn’t get the memo.
“The Machine” lived up to his nickname by outworking Nurmagomedov and sending the Dagestani wrestler to his first professional defeat, securing a unanimous decision victory from judges Chris Leben, Chris Crail, and Michael Bell after five rounds of championship action.
Check out the official scorecards right here.
“Merab, my brother, what a fighter you are! You make us feel so proud,” UFC featherweight champion and fellow Georgian, Ilia Topuria, wrote on social media. “This is what happens when Dagestani wrestling meets Georgian wrestling.”
The 34 year-old Dvalishvili has been nothing short of unstoppable over the last six years, racking up 12 straight wins while capturing the bantamweight title from “Suga” Sean O’Malley atop the UFC 306 fight card last Sept. inside Sphere in Las Vegas.
His victory over Nurmagomedov (19-1) pushed “The Machine” to 19-4 and served as his first official title defense. A quick look at the Top 15 of the division (see it here) and I can’t help but wonder who among the available contenders will pose a threat to the Merab era.
Time will tell.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 311: “Makhachev vs. Moicano” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For complete UFC 311 results, highlights, and live play-by-play, click HERE.