Tag: Merab Dvalishvili

Cory Sandhagen Hopes To See Dvalishvili ‘Get Served Up’ At UFC 311: ‘Merab’s Been Talking A Lot’

UFC bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen will be backing his most recent opponent when champion Merab Dvalishvili’s first title defense rolls around next month. Dvalishvili will put his 135-pound gold on the line four months on from his crowning, which came at the expense of Sean O’Malley inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere this past […]

UFC bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen will be backing his most recent opponent when champion Merab Dvalishvili’s first title defense rolls around next month.

Dvalishvili will put his 135-pound gold on the line four months on from his crowning, which came at the expense of Sean O’Malley inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere this past September.

After much discourse regarding his next opponent, and in spite of his preference not to face the challenge of Umar Nurmagomedov, the Georgian will share the cage with the undefeated Dagestani at UFC 311 in Los Angeles on Jan. 18.

If he’s to maintain his grip on the bantamweight belt and add a successful retention to his reign, “The Machine” must become the first to defeat Nurmagomedov — a feat that the highly regarded Sandhagen most recently failed to accomplish.

During a recent interview with MiddleEasy, Sandhagen assessed Dvalishvili’s chances of having his hand raised inside the Intuit Dome early next year.

“The Sandman” was honest in stating that he simply doesn’t see a single path to victory for the current champ. And beyond just his prediction, Sandhagen is actually hoping to see Dvalishvili beaten given how the Georgian’s been talking in recent weeks and months.

“I think that Umar will win. I just can’t see a path for Merab to win,” Sandhagen said. “I don’t think that he’s going to be able to strike with him, but I also don’t think he’ll be able to take him down and control him like he was able to do against O’Malley and against other guys. I don’t see a path to success for Merab.

“I think Umar is going to defend those shots, keep it in the striking realm, and just kind of — Umar’s a sniper, man. People don’t realize just how fast that guy is and how his kicks come out of nowhere,” Sandhagen continued. “Fighting a guy like Merab will be a good opportunity for him to show off a little, and just because Merab’s been talking a lot of sh*t, I kinda want to watch Merab get served up a little bit.”

After repeatedly dismissing Nurmagomedov’s title shot worthiness, Dvalishvili has cut a frustrated figure since the matchup was officially announced. He notably laid into the Dagestani during the on-sale press conference in Las Vegas earlier this month, later threatening to “slap” the challenger.

The time for talking will soon be over, with the pair set to co-headline the very first numbered event of 2025.

Cory Sandhagen Hopes To See Dvalishvili ‘Get Served Up’ At UFC 311: ‘Merab’s Been Talking A Lot’

UFC bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen will be backing his most recent opponent when champion Merab Dvalishvili’s first title defense rolls around next month. Dvalishvili will put his 135-pound gold on the line four months on from his crowning, which came at the expense of Sean O’Malley inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere this past […]

UFC bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen will be backing his most recent opponent when champion Merab Dvalishvili’s first title defense rolls around next month.

Dvalishvili will put his 135-pound gold on the line four months on from his crowning, which came at the expense of Sean O’Malley inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere this past September.

After much discourse regarding his next opponent, and in spite of his preference not to face the challenge of Umar Nurmagomedov, the Georgian will share the cage with the undefeated Dagestani at UFC 311 in Los Angeles on Jan. 18.

If he’s to maintain his grip on the bantamweight belt and add a successful retention to his reign, “The Machine” must become the first to defeat Nurmagomedov — a feat that the highly regarded Sandhagen most recently failed to accomplish.

During a recent interview with MiddleEasy, Sandhagen assessed Dvalishvili’s chances of having his hand raised inside the Intuit Dome early next year.

“The Sandman” was honest in stating that he simply doesn’t see a single path to victory for the current champ. And beyond just his prediction, Sandhagen is actually hoping to see Dvalishvili beaten given how the Georgian’s been talking in recent weeks and months.

“I think that Umar will win. I just can’t see a path for Merab to win,” Sandhagen said. “I don’t think that he’s going to be able to strike with him, but I also don’t think he’ll be able to take him down and control him like he was able to do against O’Malley and against other guys. I don’t see a path to success for Merab.

“I think Umar is going to defend those shots, keep it in the striking realm, and just kind of — Umar’s a sniper, man. People don’t realize just how fast that guy is and how his kicks come out of nowhere,” Sandhagen continued. “Fighting a guy like Merab will be a good opportunity for him to show off a little, and just because Merab’s been talking a lot of sh*t, I kinda want to watch Merab get served up a little bit.”

After repeatedly dismissing Nurmagomedov’s title shot worthiness, Dvalishvili has cut a frustrated figure since the matchup was officially announced. He notably laid into the Dagestani during the on-sale press conference in Las Vegas earlier this month, later threatening to “slap” the challenger.

The time for talking will soon be over, with the pair set to co-headline the very first numbered event of 2025.

Khabib Nurmagomedov: Merab Dvalishvili ‘Cannot Deal’ With Life As A UFC Champion

Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is planning to guide a prominent member of his team to title glory at the expense of a riled-up Merab Dvalishvili next month. Dvalishvili has his first defense of the bantamweight title in the calendar, coming four months on from his crowning against Sean O’Malley at the Sphere this […]

Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is planning to guide a prominent member of his team to title glory at the expense of a riled-up Merab Dvalishvili next month.

Dvalishvili has his first defense of the bantamweight title in the calendar, coming four months on from his crowning against Sean O’Malley at the Sphere this past September.

To cement his grip on the crown, the Georgian is tasked with pushing away a challenge from undefeated contender Umar Nurmagomedov, cousin of the legendary Khabib.

“The Machine” had been vocal in attempting to dismiss Nurmagomedov’s title claims, branding the Dagestani unworthy of the opportunity despite his five-round triumph over Cory Sandhagen last time out.

But with the UFC higher-ups seeing things differently, Dvalishvili will indeed put the gold on the line against the highly regarded 28-year-old at UFC 311 on Jan. 18. In the lead-up, the champ still isn’t keeping quiet about his frustration, and that threatened to boil over at the recent on-sale press conference in Las Vegas.

During an interview posted by Red Corner MMA on Instagram, Khabib assessed Dvalishvili’s ongoing fury about his cousin being granted a first championship opportunity, questioning whether the Georgian is cut out to occupy a throne on MMA’s biggest stage.

“I think when (Dvalishvili was) beginning his career, he was acting good. When he became champion, he cannot deal with this,” Khabib said. “Because life changing. Before champion and after champion, there is two (lives). You have to deal with this.

“About Umar (getting a) gift — I think Umar deserves (it). I don’t know why Merab (is) nervous,” Khabib continued. “Umar’s here not because he is my cousin. He’s here because he’s 18-0 and 6-0 in the UFC. Umar wants to create his legacy. January 18, he will show why Merab (is) nervous.”

Should Khabib and his team have their way in Los Angeles, Dvalishvili will return to life as a contender soon enough.

But “The Machine” is hell bent on proving his view of Nurmagomedov correct come fight night early next year by emphatically stalling the Russian’s title ambitions in their tracks.

Merab Dvalishvili Gets Support From UFC Veteran For Latest Fan Altercation: ‘Don’t F*ck With Pro Fighters!’

UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has been involved in several altercations with fans in recent times. The latest instance came this past weekend at UFC 310 where a video showed him being separated away from a member of the crowd when he was walking to the back with his teammate, Aljamain Sterling. Dvalishvili has since […]

UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has been involved in several altercations with fans in recent times. The latest instance came this past weekend at UFC 310 where a video showed him being separated away from a member of the crowd when he was walking to the back with his teammate, Aljamain Sterling.

Dvalishvili has since shared a video on social media which suggests that the fan was a friend of Umar Nurmagomedov, who he will face at UFC 311 in his first title defense. This additional footage shows how the person grabbed him which kicked off the series of events that led to UFC fighter Dennis Buzukja trading punches with the man.

Buzukja later explained that the fan had also been trying to antagonize the 135-pound titleholder on their way to the Octagon for Sterling’s contest against Movsar Evloev. One former member of the roster is able to specifically relate to this kind of situation given his own interactions with fans in the past.

During the walk out for his fight against Demian Maia in Brazil back in 2016, Matt Brown was grabbed and hit by several people in the audience which led to him hitting back.

In a recent episode of MMA Fighting’s Fighter vs. Writer, Brown reflected on this experience and stood by Dvalishvili for his response to being provoked.

“I still say these fans, keep to your f*cking self, bro. You don’t f*ck with professional fighters. Most of us are martial artists that are respectful and stuff, but we’re also human beings and we’ll rip your f*cking throat out. Don’t f*ck with us. It’s stupid.

“You can’t grab a professional. Someone touches me, I’m f*cking them up.”

Brown also said that in the aftermath of his incident in Brazil, he wasn’t penalized for the altercation and the UFC looked to make changes to stop this kind of thing from happening.

“I remember Dana [White] changed things after that,” Brown said. “I don’t know what exactly the changes were but basically talking about separating the fans a little bit more, particularly in Brazil, maybe having a little bit better security when guys are walking out. I was right there in touching range, and they were hitting me and pulling my hat off.

“I’m not just going to sit here and take this, plus I’m completely fired up ready to walk into a fight. You get hit, it’s a natural reaction — you hit someone back.”

Is Merab Dvalishvili Too Emotional for His UFC 311 Clash with Umar Nurmagomedov? MMA Insider Weighs In

Is Merab Dvalishvili Too Emotional for His UFC 311 Clash with Umar Nurmagomedov? MMA Insider Weighs InIs Merab Dvalishvili carrying too much emotion into his upcoming clash against Umar Nurmagomedov? In September, Dvalishvili delivered a…

Is Merab Dvalishvili Too Emotional for His UFC 311 Clash with Umar Nurmagomedov? MMA Insider Weighs In

Is Merab Dvalishvili carrying too much emotion into his upcoming clash against Umar Nurmagomedov?

In September, Dvalishvili delivered a dominant performance against ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 to claim the coveted bantamweight belt. Now, ‘The Machine’ has his first defense lined up and it’ll come against none other than undefeated Dagestani sensation Umar Nurmagomedov — the cousin of UFC Hall of Famer and former lightweight titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov.

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In Las Vegas for Saturday’s final pay-per-view event of the year, Dvalishvili had to be separated from Nurmagomedov backstage after getting into a heated confrontation ahead of the UFC 311 on-sale press conference.

Later that night, Dvalishvili got into an altercation with a man he claims is a member of Nurmagomedov’s team. The incident occurred shortly after he cornered Aljamain Sterling for his fight against Movsar Evloev at UFC 310.

Helwani flabbergasted by Merab Dvalishvili’s actions over the weekend

Commenting on Dvalishvili’s actions over the weekend, MMA journalist Ariel Helwani suggested that ‘The Machine’ may be toting around a little too much emotion going into his first fight as the 135-pound king.

“All fired up. I have to wonder, and we’ll talk to him about this: is he too fired up? Is he too emotional? Very clear, he didn’t want to come back in December, he didn’t want to maybe come back in January,” Helwani said during a recent episode of his show. “Maybe he doesn’t think that Umar deserves the fight. You rarely see him that emotional in front of, you know, the public, if you will.

“You see him getting into altercations and whatnot, but not at press conferences and whatnot. He is quite fired up in that moment. That is going to be an amazing scene in Los Angeles.”

Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov will co-main event UFC 311 on January 18 with the evening’s headliner featuring the return of lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev. The ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ puts his gold up for grabs against Arman Tsarukyan in a rematch more than five years in the making.

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Merab Dvalishvili Threatens Dagestan Visit To ‘Slap’ Umar Nurmagomedov: ‘If He Doesn’t Apologize…’

The tension between UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov shows no sign of decreasing ahead of their upcoming title fight. Dvalishvili recently had his first defense since capturing the 135-pound crown at the expense of Sean O’Malley added to the calendar. Four months on from his triumph inside the Sphere, the Georgian will […]

The tension between UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov shows no sign of decreasing ahead of their upcoming title fight.

Dvalishvili recently had his first defense since capturing the 135-pound crown at the expense of Sean O’Malley added to the calendar. Four months on from his triumph inside the Sphere, the Georgian will head to Los Angeles to do battle with an undefeated contender.

“The Machine” is set to co-headline next month’s year-opening UFC 311 pay-per-view opposite Nurmagomedov, who has gotten his wish to compete for the gold despite the champ previously dismissing his worthiness when it came to a championship opportunity.

Dvalishvili’s repeated attempts to pitch alternative fights drew plenty of backlash from the Dagestani online, and it would appear that the remarks have not been forgotten…

That much was evident when the pair almost came to blows backstage at last week’s UFC 311 press conference in Las Vegas before trading verbal barbs on stage.

And during an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Dvalishvili further addressed his growing disdain for his challenger. He stated that Nurmagomedov needs to say sorry for what he perceived as disrespect or he would be getting “slapped,” even if it means the Georgian heading to Dagestan or facing consequences such as prison.

“If you come to my face and if you disrespect me, you’re going to get slapped,” Dvalishvili said. “Don’t try that because I’m a man and I will never forgive you, even if I have to go to jail. I don’t care, man. I have so much to lose. I don’t care [about] this belt, I don’t care [about] this money, I don’t care [about] this legacy. I’m a man, I live in a respectful way, and that’s all I believe.

“Especially now I’m a U S. citizen, I can f***ing fight, beat the s*** out of these motherf***ers and I have no problem to pay the bill, ticket, or go to jail. Because I don’t care. Don’t disrespect me,” Dvalishvili continued. “He may get a slap after the fight. … The fight in the Octagon is not a real fight, it’s a sport. Yeah, [the fight will continue] if Umar does not apologize. … It’s going to happen, even if I have to go in Dagestan, I will go.”

It remains to be seen whether Dvalishvili will deliver on that threat, but the Georgian’s frequent altercations with fans at events — the most recent of which happened just this past weekend at UFC 310 — suggests “The Machine” won’t hold bak outside of the cage if he feels disrespected.

Regardless, it’s safe to say that the build-up toward their collision at the Intuit Dome on Jan. 18 will continue to be a heated one.