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O’Malley’s Coach On Merab Dvalishvili’s Anger Toward Umar Nurmagomedov: ‘Looks Like He’s About To Start Crying’

If it was any other fighter, one may look at Merab Dvalishvili’s emotions heading into his first title defense and question whether it will impact his performance. However, we have seen several times that the current bantamweight champion will get incredibly fired-up both before, during and after he is inside the Octagon without it having […]

The Georgian has been particularly tense and outspoken during the build-up to his fight with Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event of UFC 311 on January 18. He made it crystal clear at the press conference in December that he doesn’t believe that his first challenger has earned his shot which is why he didn’t want to fight him in the first place.

Dvalishvili eventually agreed to fight Nurmagomedov at the earliest available date when he grew tired of being criticized for not taking the fight and feeling disrespected by his upcoming opponent. As the head coach of Sean O’Malley, Tim Welch has felt first-hand what it feels like to be in the unpredictable crosshairs of the 135-pound titleholder.

He gave his thoughts on Dvalishvili’s actions during a recent interview with Submission Radio having cornered against him this past September at UFC 306. Welch believes that whilst it was quite a sight to see how emotionally charged the champion was whilst he was on stage at the press conference, he thinks that the champ is the kind of fighter who seeks out this kind of atmosphere.

“Some people, they just want to get p***** about something. Maybe they fight better, maybe they train better, they want to get p***** about something but the stuff he gets p***** about, it’s like I don’t know if he’s a slow guy. I mean actually, you kind of know he’s a slow guy, everyone who knows him knows he’s not like the sharpest dude, but he must just want something to get fired up about. Like he’s p***** off at Umar, he’s saying, ‘Fight me right now, you disrespected me! We’re in the UFC and you want to fight me, I have the title and you want to fight me,’ and it looks like he’s about to start crying on the press conference. I’m like holy s***, this guy’s got some screws loose so it’s kind of normal seeing that but man, you can’t take it away from the guy. The guy is an animal, he is a beast.”

Merab Dvalishvili Will Be The Bantamweight GOAT If He Beats Umar Nurmagomedov, Asserts Coach

Merab Dvalishvili has made it very clear that he didn’t want to fight as soon as UFC 311 in January and he didn’t want to face Umar Nurmagomedov in his first title defense. The undefeated challenger presents a big threat to the champion but, to Merab’s point, has only beaten one top contender in the […]

Whilst it is a risky fight for Dvalishvili who seemed to get on board with the matchup when he became emotionally invested in beating Nurmagomedov to silence some of the criticism that he has faced, his coach believes that this is a massive opportunity for the Georgian. In fact, John Wood thinks that this fight could separate his fighter as the best 135-pounder of all time.

On one hand, it seems like a very bold claim to state that you can be considered the best ever in your weight class following one successful title defense but that isn’t necessarily the case that Wood is making. A huge reason why Dvalishvili didn’t want to fight Nurmagomedov is because he felt like the challenger hadn’t earned his shot the hard way unlike him who had to accumulate 10 consecutive wins to get his first title fight inside the Octagon.

Many believed that the 33-year old had been the champion in waiting for a long time and if you factor in his wins over top contenders like Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan and José Aldo who he beat before he faced Sean O’Malley for the gold, it presents a much better picture.

“(If) Merab goes out and beats Umar, which I believe he will, I think there’s no question that he’s the bantamweight GOAT,” Wood told Inside Fighting. “And had all those guys that he beat been title defenses, it’s not even a question now. So I think we’re looking at the next bantamweight GOAT here shortly.”

Will Merab Dvalishvili Achieve GOAT Status with a Win Over Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311?

Is Merab Dvalishvili one win away from becoming the bantamweight division’s undisputed GOAT? After delivering a dominant performance against…

Is Merab Dvalishvili one win away from becoming the bantamweight division’s undisputed GOAT?

After delivering a dominant performance against ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley in September, ‘The Machine’ will put his 135-pound title on the line for the first time in the UFC 311 co-main event. Standing across from Dvalishvili will be the division’s No. 2 ranked contender, Umar Nurmagomedov.

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The undefeated Dagestani scored his first title opportunity via a lights-out performance against Cory Sandhagen over the summer.

It’s an incredibly tough test for Dvalishvili’s first defense, but if he comes out on top, he’ll be the greatest bantamweight mixed martial artist of all time. At least, that’s what his coach, John Wood, believes.

“(If) Merab goes out and beats Umar, which I believe he will, I think there’s no question that he’s the bantamweight GOAT,” Wood told Inside Fighting. “And had all those guys that he beat been title defenses, it’s not even a question now. So I think we’re looking at the next bantamweight GOAT here shortly” (h/t MMA Junkie).

Though this is his first time defending the bantamweight belt, Dvalishvili has spent much of his career bagging wins over noteworthy names in one of MMA’s most stacked divisions. Over the last few years, he’s beaten Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, Jose Aldo, and the aforementioned O’Malley.

Merab Dvalishvili locked in despite recent string of emotional outburts

Ever since his fight with Nurmagomedov was announced, Dvalishvili has been uncharacteristically riled up, his biggest gripe being that the Dagestani simply hasn’t done enough to earn the position he’s in.

Regardless of the Georgian’s recent antics, Wood insists that the champ is locked in and motivated, just as he was in his last three outings.

“He was motivated and emotional by Petr Yan,” Wood said. “He was motivated and emotional with Henry Cejudo at one point. He was motivated and emotional with O’Malley, so it’s no different. That is part of the process that we get into. He doesn’t have to hate somebody or be whatever to be motivated, but it’s part of the process.

“He gets into the fight. He’s there to fight, he’s there to go out there and do battle with the person across the cage. This one, there’s been a little more emotion to it as far as he feels a little disrespected that he is the champion, and that there’s a lot of debate on whether Umar deserves the title shot.”

Is Umar Nurmagomedov Injured Heading into UFC 311 Title Fight?

Is Umar Nurmagomedov going into his first UFC title fight injured? According to DraftKings, the undefeated Dagestani is a…

Is Umar Nurmagomedov going into his first UFC title fight injured?

According to DraftKings, the undefeated Dagestani is a more than three-to-one favorite to defeat reigning and defending bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili when the two co-headline UFC 311 inside the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on January 18. However, after Nurmagomedov’s latest admission, it might be worth it to drop a few bucks on ‘The Machine’ to succeed in his first title defense.

During a recent interview with the UFC, Nurmagomdeov revealed that he had broken his arm while training.

“After I was in Dagestan, I punch my arm. I go to show the doctor, you know, and I show them. They [do] like not [an] MRI [but] [what do you call it] when they check bone? They did X-ray and they said, ‘You broke [your arm].’ You know after that, after 20 days I go again even when I was broken, I was running. I want to still be in shape, you know.

“Even that time I try run, try to try to do shadow boxing, you know try to be in shape. And after 20 days I go again, and it’s become much better.”

Nurmagomedov didn’t elaborate on the extent of the injury, but even a hairline fracture takes six to eight weeks to heal.

Dvalishvili Insists Umar Nurmagomedov hasn’t earned his title shot

Nurmagomdeov, 18-0, earned his shot at the 135-pound crown with a dominant decision victory over Cory Sandhagen over the summer. That skyrocketed him from the bottom of the rankings to the No. 2 spot — much to the chagrin of Dvalishvili who has criticized the UFC for giving Nurmagomedov a title opportunity despite his blatant lack of wins in the top 15.

“Umar is a skilled fighter, but it’s a huge challenge, and he hasn’t earned it like the rest of us,” Dvalishvili said of his first challenger.

Dvalishvili claimed the bantamweight belt in September when he handily defeated ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 inside Sphere in Las Vegas.

Umar Nurmagomedov Accuses Merab Dvalishvili Of Seeking Easy Opponents Ahead Of UFC 311 Clash

Umar Nurmagomedov believes Merab Dvalishvili selectively targets opponents he deems less challenging. Nurmagomedov is gearing up to challenge reigning bantamweight champion Dvalishvili in the co-main event of UFC 311, scheduled for Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. “The Young Eagle” has been on a relentless quest for his first title opportunity since […]

Umar Nurmagomedov believes Merab Dvalishvili selectively targets opponents he deems less challenging.

Nurmagomedov is gearing up to challenge reigning bantamweight champion Dvalishvili in the co-main event of UFC 311, scheduled for Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

“The Young Eagle” has been on a relentless quest for his first title opportunity since his dominant unanimous decision victory over Cory Sandhagen at UFC Abu Dhabi in August 2024. However, Dvalishvili has appeared hesitant to put his belt on the line against Nurmagomedov ever since claiming the championship at UFC 306.

“The Machine” initially refuted claims that the undefeated Dagestani deserves a title shot, advocating instead for rematches with familiar foes like Sean O’Malley and Petr Yan. He even went further, suggesting that former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo is a more deserving challenger for the 135-pound crown.

This led to widespread speculation among fans and pundits, with many accusing Dvalishvili of avoiding Nurmagomedov out of fear. Now that the fight has been officially scheduled, “The Young Eagle” has dismissed these claims as unfounded.

During a recent UFC interview (via MMA Fighting), Nurmagomedov accused Dvalishvili of cherry-picking low-risk opponents to safeguard his record and earn easy paydays. He emphasized that facing him would present an entirely different challenge.

“I think he just wants to fight with a guy who [he] can beat,” Nurmagomedov said. “It does not mean I 100 percent go inside the cage and smash him. No. He knows, other guys, he will beat [them]. Me? It’s going to be hard. That’s why he tried to be champion a long time. He wants to fight with O’Malley or with Petr Yan or someone else because he knows these guys, easy money. Me? Not.

“What I know, what I understand, he does not [want a] risky fight. He can beat me; it can happen. It’s not going to break me. I will be the same Umar. Fighting is fighting. Everybody can lose, everybody can win. We’re not talking about what’s going to happen in the fight. If we’re talking about scared, I think he just wants to take [less] risk.”

Nurmagomedov is on an impressive six-fight win streak in the UFC since making his debut in January 2021.

Meanwhile, “The Machine” extended his remarkable unbeaten run to 11 straight victories after claiming the bantamweight title with a dominant win over Sean O’Malley in September 2024.

Read More: Deiveson Figueiredo Explains How Merab Dvalishvili Can Defeat Umar Nurmagomedov At UFC 311

Merab Dvalishvili Details Plans To Retire After Going 1-2 At The Start Of Pro Career

In the build up to his first title defense at UFC 311, bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has spoken a lot about respect and hard work. He does not believe that his challenger, the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov, has earned his spot like he and others have by continuing to push their way to the top. The […]

The Georgian certainly didn’t have an easy road to eventually becoming champion at UFC 306 this past September where he defeated Sean O’Malley. After losing his first two fights inside the Octagon, Dvalishvili turned his fortunes around fight-by-fight by winning ten in a row before he got the chance to fight for the title.

However, the adversity that he faced early in his career nearly stopped him from ever pursuing his dream of competing in the UFC at the highest level of the sport. After turning pro in 2014, Dvalishvili fought three times and ended the year with an overall record of 1-2 after losing two decisions against Darren Mima and Ricky Bandejas.

In a recent appearance on Eric Nicksick’s Verse Us podcast, the champion spoke about how the difficult start to his pro career nearly led to him throwing the towel in for good and never looking back.

“I was booked for my next fight but I had like headaches and you know, I wasn’t happy and not motivated and I tell them maybe first time ever, cancel fight. I said no, I want some time off and I was thinking I’m gonna live normal life like normal people.”

Dvalishvili spoke about how he had resigned himself to the idea that he would continue working in construction whilst trying to raise a family but eventually, he found the desire to compete again. He revealed that though he did resume his career, he had decided that the likes of the UFC and Bellator might be off the table for him but he could still make good money by travelling and competing elsewhere.

After winning five fights in a row, his fight against Raufeon Stots was featured on Dana White’s Lookin’ For A Fight where he produced a spinning backfist knockout in the opening 15 seconds to earn his UFC contract.

“I came back because I missed it and I said, ‘I don’t care if I lose’. In my head I was thinking I’m not the best because if I lost here in Ring of Combat, I was 1-2, how am I gonna win in the UFC and how am I going to make it to UFC. But, I said I missed this, I don’t care. Win or lose, I’m just gonna keep fighting.”