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Merab Dvalishvili is nearing his first official defense of the UFC bantamweight title and the Georgian champion will need all the help he can get. That’s because Dvalishvili will be going up against undefeated sensation Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 from Inglewood, California. Nurmagomedov is the cousin of former UFC lightweight champion and undefeated all-time great, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Despite coming off a unanimous decision win over Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 to win the UFC bantamweight crown, Dvalishvili is currently a +275 underdog entering his clash with Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. That’s also due in part to Nurmagomedov being 18-0 (6-0 UFC) and coming off a lopsided win over Cory Sandhagen last August. He arguably has better wrestling than Dvalishvili and has a pretty robust arsenal on the feet as well. It will be a tough challenge for Dvalishvili as he looks to earn more stripes as champion.
Luckily, Dvalishvili has the support of his home country of Georgia, which includes fellow countryman and UFC champion, Ilia Topuria. The two are more than just acquaintances and fully support one another as UFC titleholders. In fact, Dvalishvili intends to ask “El Matador” to help corner him at UFC 311 later this month. That’s if the UFC featherweight king has time in his busy schedule.
Check it out below:
Merab Dvalishvili plans to ask Ilia Topuria to corner him for his fight against Umar Nurmagomedov at #UFC311
@ufcontnt ?? pic.twitter.com/T9KATUQ1oY
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) January 9, 2025
“Yeah I’m going to ask Ilia [Topuria] if he wants this, we will see,” said Dvalishvili.
“I’m going to ask Ilia if he has time and go from there,” he later added.
What do you think fight fans? Does Dvalishvili have a better chance of defeating Umar Nurmagomedov with Topuria in his corner?
Insomnia
Thoughts on the rumored $30 million Jon Jones payday being “bullsh-t?”
| Joe Rogan has publicly retracted his comments suggesting Jon Jones has asked the UFC for $30 million dollars to fight Tom Aspinall.
“It is not true, Dana contacted me and said that rumor is bulls***.”
Rogan now claims that Jones is more likely to retire than fight… pic.twitter.com/ao5YPFK6cZ
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) January 9, 2025
Does this reveal by Raul Rosas Jr. go too hard?
Raul Rosas Jr. got a new hairstyle! pic.twitter.com/G47XkIDUYa
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) January 9, 2025
Love him or hate him, UFC CEO, Dana White, usually pulls through with things like this.
Dana White pledges help from #UFC in battle against Los Angeles fires. pic.twitter.com/9xJWHr7UuF
— MMA Mania (@mmamania) January 9, 2025
Too bad muscles don’t win UFC championships.
Arman Tsarukyan is absolutely JACKED ahead of next week’s #UFC311 title shot
(via @ArmanUfc) pic.twitter.com/gcD53QC1tY
— Uncrowned (@uncrownedcombat) January 9, 2025
Umar Nurmagomedov is already planning on fighting former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley later this year.
Umar Nurmagomedov says he will fight 3 times this year, and believes that Sean O’Malley will face the winner of the fight between him and Merab:
“Whoever wins this fight, I think O’Malley is next. [O’Malley] wants Merab to win, not because of a rematch, he thinks Merab gonna be… pic.twitter.com/8fXKUrJIDd
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) January 10, 2025
A matchup between Gilbert Burns and Michael Morales appears to be headed to UFC 314 this April in Miami, Florida.
MORALES KEEPS CLIMBING THE LADDER
Gilbert Burns Vs Michael Morales set for UFC314??
April 12th, Miami
Via @AgFight pic.twitter.com/dU6b0oVifp— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) January 10, 2025
Michael Chandler still can’t stand Conor McGregor.
Who TF is “we” – you are a suit and the ones you wear keep getting cheaper and cheaper. You’ll be flipping through the clearance rack in no time…@TheNotoriousMMA https://t.co/WjW2pN4MOh
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) January 9, 2025
Is Alexander Volkanovski the funniest fighter in UFC?
Volk recreated the Alex Pereira rollercoaster meme pic.twitter.com/M9bj2ClLDK
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) January 9, 2025
Who is Diego Lopes in camp for?
Diego Lopes is in camp. … but for who? pic.twitter.com/wYtc59bjCT
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) January 9, 2025
Aljamain Sterling is apparently in some heat for posting this one-hour video ranking the hottest UFC fighters while sitting alongside his fiancé.
Jon Jones vs. Matt Hamill 2 anyone?
Matt Hamill: If the one loss record really bothers Jon Jones, I told him, let’s have a rematch.#HelwaniShow pic.twitter.com/H2eo0BqT9Y
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) January 8, 2025
Oban Elliott taking his shot at an unlikely clash with Jorge Masvidal.
I’ll break the fourth wall here.
I know the Masvidal fight is unlikely. But could you imagine it in Miami.
Him getting cheered and The Welsh Gangster rolls in cutting promos trashing every single one of his disciples. The build up. Classic Baby face vs. Heel.
A TKO dream!
CINEMA!— Oban Elliott Official (@obanelliottufc) January 8, 2025
Slips, rips, and KO clips
Here’s a couple of UFC throwbacks you may have forgotten about:
“The Nigerian Nightmare” Kamaru Usman(9-1) vs Sean Strickland(18-1)
UFC 210: Cormier vs Johnson 2
April 8th 2017
Fighter: @USMAN84kg
Pure Dominance pic.twitter.com/JpeycLKxHg
— Underrated Tribal Chief (@MMAUnderrated) January 10, 2025
“The Highlight” Justin Gaethje(17-0) vs “The Menace” Michael Johnson(17-11)
TUF 25 Finale: Johnson vs Gaethje
July 7th 2017
Fighter: @Justin_Gaethje
Whoever thought to make this Gaethje’s debut fight absolutely cooked
Vid Cred: @DrJonesPHD62 pic.twitter.com/X88XPCBR67
— Underrated Tribal Chief (@MMAUnderrated) January 9, 2025
“El Panthera” Yair Rodriguez(11-1) vs Dan “The Hangman” Hooker(12-5)
UFC 192: Cormier vs Gustafsson
October 3rd 2015 pic.twitter.com/FWl3Lpvf75
— Underrated Tribal Chief (@MMAUnderrated) January 9, 2025
Random Land
Any idea what Trump and Obama were talking about?
Donald Trump & Barack Obama talking at Jimmy Carter’s funeral in Washington D.C.
pic.twitter.com/jlne9SevTw— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) January 9, 2025
Midnight Mania movie trailer!
Human Traffickers Beware. Watch the trailer for #AWorkingMan, starring Jason Statham and from ‘The Beekeeper’ director David Ayer. See the movie only in theaters March 28. pic.twitter.com/5F8oJLhx5a
— Amazon MGM Studios (@AmazonMGMStudio) January 9, 2025
Sleep well Maniacs! We’ll be back for more tomorrow night.