Top-ranked bantamweight contender, Umar Nurmagomedov, was the odds-on betting favorite to defeat division champion, Merab Dvalishvili, and capture the 135-pound crown in the UFC 311 pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event last Sat. night (Jan. 18) at Inuit Dome in Los Angeles.
Instead, Nurmagomedov got swept on the judges’ scorecards.
In the wake of their five-round contest, Nurmagomedov’s manager released a photo of Umar’s broken hand, suffered during his Dvalishvili loss and perhaps contributing to his collapse in the championship rounds. Fight fans, however, were far from sympathetic and instead slammed the “pathetic” excuse.
Perhaps that’s what happens when “Dagestani Wrestling Meets Georgian Wrestling.”
“You guys know, you know I’m training all the time,” Dvalishvili said after the fight. “I am ‘The Machine.’ I have a big cut on my leg, I have an infection but I know the UFC needed me. The UFC gave me everything. Today I was good but you have to prepare good, I had an infection on my leg and [hurt] my lower back. Umar is a tough fighter and he’s good but he called me old. Yes, I’m old but I’m working every day. I’m a harder worker. The whole world was against me. But I don’t give a sh*t. I believe in my hard work, I believe in myself.”
Their 25-minute war was good enough for “Fight of the Night” honors.
It will be interesting to see how matchmakers handle the returns of Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov. Former bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley, threatened to crash the UFC 311 co-main event (but didn’t) and would probably make a better opponent for Umar than Merab, having previously succumbed to “The Machine” at UFC 306.
Perhaps this former champion can get his moment to shine?
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