Merab Dvalishvili Explains Why He Questioned Islam Makhachev, Umar Nurmagomedov & Other Fighters Representing Russia

Merab Dvalishvili has won tons of fans with his unhinged social media personality. Ahead of his fight with Sean O’Malley, “The Machine” released several skits mocking the champ and they’ve aged like fine wine now that he’s champion. Similarly, Dvalishvili has repeatedly spoken his mind on Umar Nurmagomedov getting a title shot after just one […]

Continue Reading Merab Dvalishvili Explains Why He Questioned Islam Makhachev, Umar Nurmagomedov & Other Fighters Representing Russia at MMA News.

Merab Dvalishvili has won tons of fans with his unhinged social media personality. Ahead of his fight with Sean O’Malley, “The Machine” released several skits mocking the champ and they’ve aged like fine wine now that he’s champion.

Similarly, Dvalishvili has repeatedly spoken his mind on Umar Nurmagomedov getting a title shot after just one win over a ranked UFC bantamweight. His rivalry with the undefeated prospect has taken a new turn since he questioned the latter representing Russia.

Dvalishvili recently explained the history of Georgia in detail and why he’s not a big fan of many fighters representing Russia.

Merab Dvalishvili Reveals Why He Doesn’t Consider Umar Nurmagomedov, Khabib, Islam Makhachev, And Other ‘Caucasian’ Fighters Russian

In a recent episode of the Fight Back podcast hosted by Jake Shields on YouTube, Dvalishvili discussed the history of Georgia. He told Shields about Russia still occupying 20% of Georgia and looked back at the terrors of the 2008 Russo-Georgian war.

Dvalishvili didn’t hide his understandable animosity toward the Russian government as he witnessed several war crimes as a teenager. However, he admitted to not having the same feelings for Russian citizens who’ve always appreciated Georgia’s hospitality as well.

The UFC bantamweight kingpin then reiterated that the following UFC fighters represent Russia but they technically belong to different independent nations:

  • Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Umar Nurmagomedov come from Dagestan.
  • Khamzat Chimaev belongs to Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.
  • Movsar Evloev hails from Ingushetia.

“They are all on, I mean, it’s not independent country but all different countries. They are Muslim people, they have own culture, own tradition. That people, we call them Caucasian people, like because we have Caucas mountains. So, we are this side, they are other side. And then, but now, so like, I’m not going to say occupied but yeah somehow the Russia take over those countries and they have to ‘represent’ Russia. So, and I say, when somebody asked me Umar is from Russia, that’s why you don’t…I said, no, Umar not from Russia. He’s from Dagestan.”

Dvalishvili made sure to point out that he understands the aforementioned fighters choosing to represent Russia for political, personal, or any other reasons. It’ll be interesting to see whether these remarks will add to the intensity of his rivalry with Nurmagomedov, though.

Continue Reading Merab Dvalishvili Explains Why He Questioned Islam Makhachev, Umar Nurmagomedov & Other Fighters Representing Russia at MMA News.

Umar Nurmagomedov: People Expect Me To Perform Like Khabib Every Time

From the moment that he arrived in the UFC, Umar Nurmagomedov was never going to be your usual Octagon debutant. The bantamweight contender is the older brother of Usman Nurmagomedov and the cousin of the great Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired on top of the sport. After everything that the senior Nurmagomedov was able to accomplish […]

Continue Reading Umar Nurmagomedov: People Expect Me To Perform Like Khabib Every Time at MMA News.

From the moment that he arrived in the UFC, Umar Nurmagomedov was never going to be your usual Octagon debutant.

The bantamweight contender is the older brother of Usman Nurmagomedov and the cousin of the great Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired on top of the sport.

After everything that the senior Nurmagomedov was able to accomplish in the UFC, there is always going to be high expectations for his own family to live up to that name.

“The Eagle” didn’t just have success at the highest level of MMA, he was able to completely dominate opponents to the point where he made the toughest stylistic fights look easy.

This has had a knock-on effect on Umar Nurmagomedov, in the way that some fans perceive him.

Umar Nurmagomedov Says Some Fans Get Underwhelmed When He Isn’t “The Eagle”

During an interview on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Nurmagomedov spoke about the way that some fans are not impressed by him because he isn’t as dominant as his elder cousin.

The #2-ranked contender in the bantamweight division, who is likely next in line for a title shot, is putting on great performances but that doesn’t mean that his style or the way that he wins is the same as when “The Eagle” stepped inside the Octagon.

With an undefeated record of 18-0, Nurmagomedov was asked by Kamaru Usman whether exceeding the legendary 29-0 record is something that he thinks about.

He responded by saying that he isn’t looking to replicate his cousin’s career despite people often measuring him by that same level.

“I think it’s going to be difficult to become too close [to] this man and even right now, everybody when we’re going to the cage, when we fought, everybody wait, we’re going to do same job and our wins not bring to people same emotional [effect], you know, because Khabib was maul everyone.

“He go inside, finish him or broke [opponent], he did in the cage like great job and people, to see Nurmagomedov fight, they think we’re going to do same and when we win, they said, ‘Ah it’s like regular fighter, he just win’.”

Read also: Michael ‘Venom’ Page Bemoans Sean O’Malley’s Lack Of ‘Killer Instinct’ After Hurting Merab Dvalishvili

Continue Reading Umar Nurmagomedov: People Expect Me To Perform Like Khabib Every Time at MMA News.

Umar Nurmagomedov: People Expect Me To Perform Like Khabib Every Time

From the moment that he arrived in the UFC, Umar Nurmagomedov was never going to be your usual Octagon debutant. The bantamweight contender is the older brother of Usman Nurmagomedov and the cousin of the great Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired on top of the sport. After everything that the senior Nurmagomedov was able to accomplish […]

Continue Reading Umar Nurmagomedov: People Expect Me To Perform Like Khabib Every Time at MMA News.

From the moment that he arrived in the UFC, Umar Nurmagomedov was never going to be your usual Octagon debutant.

The bantamweight contender is the older brother of Usman Nurmagomedov and the cousin of the great Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired on top of the sport.

After everything that the senior Nurmagomedov was able to accomplish in the UFC, there is always going to be high expectations for his own family to live up to that name.

“The Eagle” didn’t just have success at the highest level of MMA, he was able to completely dominate opponents to the point where he made the toughest stylistic fights look easy.

This has had a knock-on effect on Umar Nurmagomedov, in the way that some fans perceive him.

Umar Nurmagomedov Says Some Fans Get Underwhelmed When He Isn’t “The Eagle”

During an interview on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Nurmagomedov spoke about the way that some fans are not impressed by him because he isn’t as dominant as his elder cousin.

The #2-ranked contender in the bantamweight division, who is likely next in line for a title shot, is putting on great performances but that doesn’t mean that his style or the way that he wins is the same as when “The Eagle” stepped inside the Octagon.

With an undefeated record of 18-0, Nurmagomedov was asked by Kamaru Usman whether exceeding the legendary 29-0 record is something that he thinks about.

He responded by saying that he isn’t looking to replicate his cousin’s career despite people often measuring him by that same level.

“I think it’s going to be difficult to become too close [to] this man and even right now, everybody when we’re going to the cage, when we fought, everybody wait, we’re going to do same job and our wins not bring to people same emotional [effect], you know, because Khabib was maul everyone.

“He go inside, finish him or broke [opponent], he did in the cage like great job and people, to see Nurmagomedov fight, they think we’re going to do same and when we win, they said, ‘Ah it’s like regular fighter, he just win’.”

Read also: Michael ‘Venom’ Page Bemoans Sean O’Malley’s Lack Of ‘Killer Instinct’ After Hurting Merab Dvalishvili

Continue Reading Umar Nurmagomedov: People Expect Me To Perform Like Khabib Every Time at MMA News.

Umar Nurmagomedov: People Expect Me To Perform Like Khabib Every Time

From the moment that he arrived in the UFC, Umar Nurmagomedov was never going to be your usual Octagon debutant. The bantamweight contender is the older brother of Usman Nurmagomedov and the cousin of the great Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired on top of the sport. After everything that the senior Nurmagomedov was able to accomplish […]

Continue Reading Umar Nurmagomedov: People Expect Me To Perform Like Khabib Every Time at MMA News.

From the moment that he arrived in the UFC, Umar Nurmagomedov was never going to be your usual Octagon debutant.

The bantamweight contender is the older brother of Usman Nurmagomedov and the cousin of the great Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired on top of the sport.

After everything that the senior Nurmagomedov was able to accomplish in the UFC, there is always going to be high expectations for his own family to live up to that name.

“The Eagle” didn’t just have success at the highest level of MMA, he was able to completely dominate opponents to the point where he made the toughest stylistic fights look easy.

This has had a knock-on effect on Umar Nurmagomedov, in the way that some fans perceive him.

Umar Nurmagomedov Says Some Fans Get Underwhelmed When He Isn’t “The Eagle”

During an interview on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Nurmagomedov spoke about the way that some fans are not impressed by him because he isn’t as dominant as his elder cousin.

The #2-ranked contender in the bantamweight division, who is likely next in line for a title shot, is putting on great performances but that doesn’t mean that his style or the way that he wins is the same as when “The Eagle” stepped inside the Octagon.

With an undefeated record of 18-0, Nurmagomedov was asked by Kamaru Usman whether exceeding the legendary 29-0 record is something that he thinks about.

He responded by saying that he isn’t looking to replicate his cousin’s career despite people often measuring him by that same level.

“I think it’s going to be difficult to become too close [to] this man and even right now, everybody when we’re going to the cage, when we fought, everybody wait, we’re going to do same job and our wins not bring to people same emotional [effect], you know, because Khabib was maul everyone.

“He go inside, finish him or broke [opponent], he did in the cage like great job and people, to see Nurmagomedov fight, they think we’re going to do same and when we win, they said, ‘Ah it’s like regular fighter, he just win’.”

Read also: Michael ‘Venom’ Page Bemoans Sean O’Malley’s Lack Of ‘Killer Instinct’ After Hurting Merab Dvalishvili

Continue Reading Umar Nurmagomedov: People Expect Me To Perform Like Khabib Every Time at MMA News.

Demetrious Johnson Highlights ‘X-Factor’ That Could Make A Difference In Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov

The next bantamweight title fight already appears to be lined up following the main event of UFC 306 this past weekend. Merab Dvalishvili defeated Sean O’Malley inside the Sphere to become the new champion and was immediately asked about the prospect of facing Umar Nurmagomedov next. Though Dvalishvili doesn’t seem too sold on the idea, […]

Continue Reading Demetrious Johnson Highlights ‘X-Factor’ That Could Make A Difference In Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov at MMA News.

The next bantamweight title fight already appears to be lined up following the main event of UFC 306 this past weekend.

Merab Dvalishvili defeated Sean O’Malley inside the Sphere to become the new champion and was immediately asked about the prospect of facing Umar Nurmagomedov next.

Though Dvalishvili doesn’t seem too sold on the idea, the UFC is clearly heading in this direction after Nurmagomedov defeated Cory Sandhagen in August.

In a clash of two of the most feared grapplers in the UFC right now, a former UFC champion believes that cardio may be the difference between them.

Demetrious Johnson Says Conditioning Could Be Key For Merab Dvalishvili Against Umar Nurmagomedov

In his post-fight breakdown of the main event at Noche UFC, Demetrious Johnson spoke about the next step for the new king of the bantamweights.

The former UFC flyweight champion said that when looking at Dvalishvili and how he matches up with Nurmagomedov, a few key differences stand out.

“Mighty Mouse”, who recently announced his retirement, drew attention to the fact that whilst the champion is known for smothering his opponents, Nurmagomedov is usually less reliant on pressure.

Johnson therefore believes that Dvalishvili’s seemingly endless gas tank could be his biggest weapon in this fight because we haven’t seen that same pace and output from the potential challenger.

“This is going to be interesting because I feel his [Merab] conditioning is going to be the X-factor because we know he’s not going to stop, he’s going to be a busy bee around the Octagon to where this gentleman [Umar] has the high kicks, he’s very long, he’s very big and he also has the wrestling but he does not have the work ethic like this man [Merab]. Not saying he doesn’t have the work ethic, he doesn’t have just that, ‘I’m coming to smash you, I’m coming to smother you,’ like Khabib. This man [Merab] has that bear gene were he just comes and gets you where he’s [Umar] more strategic.”

Read also: Umar Nurmagomedov’s Coach On Merab Dvalishvili: ‘Cain Velasquez In The Bantamweight Division’

Continue Reading Demetrious Johnson Highlights ‘X-Factor’ That Could Make A Difference In Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov at MMA News.

Umar Nurmagomedov’s Coach On Merab Dvalishvili: ‘Cain Velasquez In The Bantamweight Division’

Umar Nurmagomedov’s coach recently heaped praise on Merab Dvalishvili’s relentless fighting style. “The Machine” turned in arguably the best performance of his career when it mattered most, dominating Sean O’Malley in the main event of Noche UFC 306 last weekend at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada, to claim the 135-pound title. The bout played […]

Continue Reading Umar Nurmagomedov’s Coach On Merab Dvalishvili: ‘Cain Velasquez In The Bantamweight Division’ at MMA News.

Umar Nurmagomedov’s coach recently heaped praise on Merab Dvalishvili’s relentless fighting style.

“The Machine” turned in arguably the best performance of his career when it mattered most, dominating Sean O’Malley in the main event of Noche UFC 306 last weekend at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada, to claim the 135-pound title.

The bout played out precisely as many experts had foreseen, with Dvalishvili applying relentless aggression from the opening bell to the final horn. His barrage of takedowns and commanding grappling exchanges completely neutralized O’Malley’s striking arsenal.

Dvalishvili was all gas, no brakes, taking “Suga” down at will and dictating the pace for the majority of the contest. By the end, the victor was clear, with Dvalishvili claiming UFC gold via a decisive unanimous decision from the judges.

Following Dvalishvili’s victory, a whirlwind of speculation has erupted over who will step up as the Georgian’s first title challenger. Throughout fight week, the newly crowned UFC bantamweight champion has consistently floated Deiveson Figueiredo as the most deserving opponent. At the same time, Dvalishvili has shown a noticeable disinclination to face the undefeated Nurmagomedov next.

Mendez Foresees How Potential Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov Clash Would Play Out

During a recent interview with Submission Radio, Mendez was asked to weigh in on how a potential title showdown between Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov might unfold. The renowned MMA coach lauded ‘The Machine’s’ incredible cardio, predicting that the reigning champion would present a formidable challenge for his protégé. However, he noted that the Dagestani has certain advantages that could shift the momentum in his direction.

“It’s going to be fought on the standup, it’s going to be fought on the ground,” Mendez said. “I believe we’re sharper on the stand-up. I believe we’re sharper on the ground. I believe what he has is incredible cardio, and that’s a big part that’s to his advantage. I don’t know of anybody in the bantamweight division that has that kind of advantage. He’s got incredible cardio, so if you’re going to go with him and it’s going to go five rounds, you’ve got to be prepared to go five hard first rounds because that’s what this guy is all about. He’s got an incredible gas tank; he kind of reminds me of Cain Velasquez in the bantamweight division.”

Mendez went on to reveal that Nurmagomedov is poised to be the next challenger for Dvalishvili’s title. According to him, discussions for the potential showdown are already underway, though he expressed some uncertainty about how things will unfold in the near future.

“As far as I know, it [the fight] is being offered. It’s just a matter of whether they can work out the deal. You never know what’s going on behind the scenes, right? So even though I’m telling you this, it may be something else. I do know that we are supposed to be the next challengers after this [Noche UFC 306]. That’s why he [Nurmagomedov] was there. Why did they show him as the next challenger for the title? Why did Joe Rogan even bring it up if they weren’t trying to build up the next fight? It’s the next fight. Now, will it happen? Let’s see.”

Nurmagomedov is riding a six-fight undefeated streak in the Octagon and is fresh off a commanding unanimous decision victory over Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi this past August.

The younger cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov has been campaigning for a title shot ever since his last victory, but Dvalishvili has put his challenge on ice. Now, only time will reveal who the reigning champion selects as his next opponent.

Continue Reading Umar Nurmagomedov’s Coach On Merab Dvalishvili: ‘Cain Velasquez In The Bantamweight Division’ at MMA News.