Tag: Umar Nurmagomedov

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.

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.

What’s Next After UFC 310? Full Confirmed UFC 311 Main Card For Los Angeles On Jan. 18

UFC 310 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering, UFC 311 in Los Angeles. The promotion was in Las Vegas this past week, where the T-Mobile Arena played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its latest major card in “Sin City.” Of note were […]

UFC 310 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering, UFC 311 in Los Angeles.

The promotion was in Las Vegas this past week, where the T-Mobile Arena played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its latest major card in “Sin City.” Of note were headline wins for Alexandre Pantoja and Shavkat Rakhmonov, as well as important victories for Bryce Mitchell, Dominick Reyes, and Movsar Evloev.

While the aftermath of the Dec. 7 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the flyweight title picture to the lightweight championship conversation.

At UFC 311, set for the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Jan. 18, reigning kingpin Islam Makhachev will open his account for the new year, once again in defense of his 155-pound gold. After following his crowning against Charles Oliveira with retentions opposite Alexander Volkanovski and Dustin Poirier, the Dagestani will next run it back with top contender Arman Tsarukyan.

Stakes will also be high in the co-headliner, as bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili looks to defend his gold for the first time since winning it at the expense of Sean O’Malley. In his way of a continued reign will be the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov.

Procházka, Moicano, de Ridder, Set The Stage For High-Profile Headliners At UFC 311

Before Makhachev and Dvalishvili defend their belts, a number of other notable names will take to the Octagon looking to make the most of their position on the major UFC 311 card.

That includes a pair of former light heavyweight champions in Ji?í Procházka and Jamahal Hill. After falling to the renowned power of reigning kingpin Alex Pereira this year, both will be looking to bounce back and reinsert themselves into the title picture at 205 pounds.

Prior to that, an important lightweight clash goes down. Fresh off a 3-0 run in 2024 and main event triumph over Benoît Saint Denis in Paris, Renato Moicano gets the chance to further climb the 155-pound ladder against veteran contender Beneil Dariush, who hasn’t competed since a knockout to Tsarukyan in December 2023.

And opening the UFC 311 main card will be promotional newcomer Reinier de Ridder. The former two-division ONE championship titleholder debuted this past November in a grueling clash with Gerald Meerschaert at the Apex. If he’s to move to 2-0 in the Octagon, the Dutchman must add to the woes of Kevin Holland, who most recently fell to an injury TKO loss opposite Roman Dolidze.

Those pairings have currently gotten the nod to feature on the main card over ranked light heavyweights Johnny Walker and Bogdan Guskov, as well as a top 10 heavyweight bout between Jailton Almeida and Serghei Spivac.

See below for the full UFC 311 card, as it stands.

Main Card:

  • Islam Makhachev (C) vs. Arman Tsarukyan (lightweight championship)
  • Merab Dvalishvili (C) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (bantamweight championship)
  • Ji?í Procházka vs. Jamahal Hill (light heavyweight)
  • Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano (lightweight)
  • Reinier de Ridder vs. Kevin Holland (middleweight)

Preliminary Card:

  • Johnny Walker vs. Bogdan Guskov (light heavyweight)
  • Payton Talbott vs. Raoni Barcelos (bantamweight)
  • Jailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac (heavyweight)
  • Zachary Reese vs. Sedriques Dumas (middleweight)

Early Preliminary Card:

  • Grant Dawson vs. Diego Ferreira (lightweight)
  • Karol Rosa vs. Ailín Pérez (women’s bantamweight)
  • Rinya Nakamura vs. Muin Gafarov (bantamweight)
  • Ricky Turcios vs. Benardo Sopaj (bantamweight)
  • Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Clay Carpenter (flyweight)
Jiri Prochazka
Image: Zuffa LLC/UFC

UFC 311 Press Conference Live Stream: Featuring Makhachev, Tsarukyan, Dvalishvili & Nurmagomedov

UFC 311 will kick off the promotion’s pay-per-view schedule for 2025, and MMA News has you covered with this week’s press conference. The MMA leader has business to attend to in Las Vegas on Saturday night before focus turns to next year’s opening numbered event, but Friday will see attention briefly on the Jan. 18 […]

UFC 311 will kick off the promotion’s pay-per-view schedule for 2025, and MMA News has you covered with this week’s press conference.

The MMA leader has business to attend to in Las Vegas on Saturday night before focus turns to next year’s opening numbered event, but Friday will see attention briefly on the Jan. 18 card in Los Angeles before the UFC 310 ceremonial weigh-ins.

Appearing on stage with mic in hand will be the four UFC 311 headliners — Islam Makhachev, Arman Tsarukyan, Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov.

See below for a live stream of the UFC 311 presser via the UFC’s official YouTube channel, commencing at 6 PM ET.

UFC 311, set to play out inside the Intuit Dome, will be headlined by Makhachev’s (26-1) fourth defense of the lightweight title. Since capturing it at the expense of Charles Oliveira in 2022, the Dagestani has turned away two challenges from featherweight legend Alexander Volkanovski and one from Dustin Poirier.

Makhachev could now be set for his toughest test to date as he runs it back with the charging Tsarukyan (22-3). The Russian-Armenian secured his first shot at gold with a victory over Oliveira at UFC 300 this past April. And given how competitive his 2019 fight with the champ was, he’s confident of being the one to start a new chapter at 155 pounds.

There will also be title stakes in the co-main event, meanwhile, as Dvalishvili (18-4) puts his newly won bantamweight belt on the line for the first time. Four months on from unseating Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 inside the Sphere, the Georgian is tasked with blemishing the perfect record of Nurmagomedov (18-0) if he’s to add a successful retention to his résumé.

A number of other intriguing matchups are scheduled for the stacked card. The current fights expected to take place at UFC 311 in Los Angeles on Jan. 18 are as follows:

  • Islam Makhachev (C) vs. Arman Tsarukyan (lightweight championship)
  • Merab Dvalishvili (C) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (bantamweight championship)
  • Ji?í Procházka vs. Jamahal Hill (light heavyweight)
  • Reinier de Ridder vs. Kevin Holland (middleweight)
  • Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano (lightweight)
  • Jailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac (heavyweight)
  • Rinya Nakamura vs. Muin Gafarov (bantamweight)
  • Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Clay Carpenter (flyweight)
  • Johnny Walker vs. Bogdan Guskov (light heavyweight)
  • Karol Rosa vs. Ailín Pérez (women’s bantamweight)
  • Zachary Reese vs. Sedriques Dumas (middleweight)
  • Payton Talbott vs. Raoni Barcelos (bantamweight)
  • Grant Dawson vs. Diego Ferreira (lightweight)
  • Ricky Turcios vs. Benardo Sopaj (bantamweight)

Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan 2, Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov Official For UFC 311

The mixed martial arts leader is set to open its pay-per-view schedule for 2025 in style, having confirmed championship defenses for both Islam Makhachev and Merab Dvalishvili for UFC 311. Octagon action will head to Los Angeles for the first numbered event of the new year, with the new Intuit Dome playing host to a […]

The mixed martial arts leader is set to open its pay-per-view schedule for 2025 in style, having confirmed championship defenses for both Islam Makhachev and Merab Dvalishvili for UFC 311.

Octagon action will head to Los Angeles for the first numbered event of the new year, with the new Intuit Dome playing host to a lineup that already looks likely to be among the most stacked across the next 12 months.

And following additions like Ji?í Procházka vs. Jamahal Hill and Reinier de Ridder vs. Kevin Holland, as well as returns for Jailton Almeida and Johnny Walker, a pair of blockbuster headliners are now official.

UFC CEO Dana White took to social media this week to confirm that the long-rumored rematch between Makhachev (26-1) and Arman Tsarukyan (22-3) for the lightweight gold will indeed headline the event on Jan. 18.

And despite his callout of other contenders, bantamweight king Dvalishvili (18-4) will put his belt on the line against the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov (18-0), who looks to set the stage for his stablemate’s defense in the final fight of the night by adding to the team’s trophy cabinet.

Makhachev has recorded three defenses since defeating Charles Oliveira to achieve champ status. After back-to-back wins over Alexander Volkanovski in 2023, the Dagestani most recently turned back the challenge of Dustin Poirier. Makhachev is now set to run it back with a charging contender whom he narrowly outpointed back in 2019. Tsarukyan enters his first title shot riding momentum from a triumph over Oliveira at UFC 300.

Dvalishvili, meanwhile, will be making his first defense at UFC 311, five months on from his victory over Sean O’Malley at the Sphere. That result extended his winning run to 11 straight fights and followed success opposite former champions Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo. Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, is yet to taste defeat inside the cage. The Russian most recently staked his claim for a championship opportunity by getting the better of the highly regarded Cory Sandhagen across five rounds in Abu Dhabi.

With these additions, the current fights expected to take place at UFC 311 in Los Angeles on Jan. 18 are as follows:

  • Islam Makhachev (C) vs. Arman Tsarukyan (lightweight championship)
  • Merab Dvalishvili (C) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (bantamweight championship)
  • Ji?í Procházka vs. Jamahal Hill (light heavyweight)
  • Reinier de Ridder vs. Kevin Holland (middleweight)
  • Jailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac (heavyweight)
  • Rinya Nakamura vs. Muin Gafarov (bantamweight)
  • Johnny Walker vs. Bogdan Guskov (light heavyweight)
  • Karol Rosa vs. Ailín Pérez (women’s bantamweight)
  • Zachary Reese vs. Sedriques Dumas (middleweight)
  • Payton Talbott vs. Raoni Barcelos (bantamweight)
  • Grant Dawson vs. Diego Ferreira (lightweight)
  • Ricky Turcios vs. Benardo Sopaj (bantamweight)