It’s not every day someone with the last name “Nurmagomedov” does not have his hand at the top after a scramble. Enter and exit Merab Dvalishvili as the UFC 135-pound champ in his upset title defense! Entering as a rare underdog, he outpaced Dagestani wrestler Umar Nurmagomedov and his efforts to crack his first UFC gold. After the UFC 311 PPV (Pay-per-view) main card headliner, Nurmagomedov has finally broken his silence.
This was a must-see wrestling skills test on tele as soon as Dvalishvili won gold last September. It took a while to study the range and get the action going. Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov darted in with quick tee-off shots, then exited before a counter. But Mean “Machine” excelled late, R4 onwards, where he scrambled a stationary Nurmagomedov. The latter, though, thinks he is the rightful owner of UFC 311.
There are no excuses.
InshaAllah я стану чемпионом
The rest is not important.
Praise Allah in any situationAnd I don’t think I’ve lost this battle
If even the whole world will convince me otherwise.Deal with the injuries and get back on track
InshaAllahUmar Nurmagomedov via IG (@umar_nurmagomedov)
Merab Dvalishvili and his monster cardio were, as usual, in a league of their own. In the waning minutes ticking away, Dvalishvili landed big shots and executed enough takedowns to break GOAT Georges St-Pierre‘s record. The Georgian swiped off Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision. However, there is no telling if “Young Eagle” means that this was not entirely a “battle lost” but rather a learning moment. Or if he is really entering his UFC 311 equivalent of an emo phase.
There’s also manager Ali Abdelaziz and his non-hostile social media takeover that occurs sometimes. Post-fight, while in his octagon interview with Joe Rogan, Nurmagomedov said he broke his arm in the opening frame. Abdelaziz and brass later confirmed it, posting snaps on social media. He did put a competitive output. But just how much it hindered him is something only Nurmagomedov knows. The champ doesn’t care for it, though.
Umar Nurmagomedov injury talk dismissed by Merab Dvalishvili
To the victor goes the spoils… And the scope of gloating to have fought with injuries. After UFC 299 PPV last year at Kaseya Center in Miami, veteran lightweight Dustin Poirier said as much about his opponent battling staph. It’s quite a true sentiment in MMA circles! Merab Dvalishvili’s reign began at UFC 306 PPV. During the frame, the jolly Georgian has had numerous injuries with his wild antics!
Merab Dvalishvili dismisses Umar Nurmagomedov’s injury (Source: X)No, he didn’t jump off a pole in an interview with Nina Marie-Daniele again or lobotomize himself, mowing his brows! But he did have injuries a few months out from UFC 311. Following his stunning decision victory over Umar Nurmagomedov in Saturday’s co-main event, both men used their post-fight PPV mic time to discuss injuries.
Nurmagomedov broke his left hand in Round 1. While Dvalishvili was cut off by micsman Rogan before he could elaborate on his issues. At the evening’s post-fight press conference, the UFC 135-pound champ reiterated more details on his list of injuries.
I broke my back in training camp and it was some days I cannot get up from the bed, …I was laid down and I don’t have a training camp and I don’t have a Khabib Nurmagomedov to help me to train…Some days the P.I. was closed…couple of times Umar was there and the security goes, ‘I’m sorry. We cannot let you go in’…You’re a f*cking fighter and you’ve got to find a way to win. I don’t know, as a fighter I respect him. God bless him, I wish him all the best, but it’s a fight, but guess what? Who broke his hand?
Merab Dvalishvili during UFC 311 Post-fight conference fighter interviews
Pre-fight, Dvalishvili had charged encounters with the Team Khabib top contender to keep his privileges in check. As a result of which, he could not enter UFC PI (PI Las Vegas, Team Khabib camp) for specific treatments.
According to Dvalishvili, it wasn’t just his back that had been causing him problems of late. Up until the middle of the UFC 311 fight week, he also had to deal with a cut on his leg. It only healed last Wednesday before the UFC 311 Fight Kit promo shoot. But the champion made it work anyway. Now, he has the playing field, and rightfully so.
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