Merab Dvalishvili is currently scheduled to defend his UFC bantamweight championship against top challenger Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. Ahead of the fight, both fighters have already established a brutal rivalry that is based on trash-talking and personal remarks. Recently, Dvalishvili tried to come up with a conspiracy regarding Team Khabib, and Javier Mendez wasn’t happy about that.
Dvalishvili had an altercation with a fan at UFC 310, where he went to support Aljamain Sterling. As expected, the champ didn’t hold back and attacked a fan who provoked him. Later he posted a video connecting the fan to Team Khabib. Coach Mendez recently talked about the developments and shared his side of the story.
Fighting with the fans and then pointing out that Khabib’s team put him there. That would be horrible because I would be really upset. I know that my guys. He might know Team Khabib but he has never been in fight camp with us.
Javier Mendez via Submission Radio
This rivalry between Dvalishvili and Team Khabib has been brewing up for some time now. Since the Georgian became the champion, Nurmagomedov asked for a shot. However, Dvalishvili never respected his credentials as a top challenger and initially ignored him.
UFC saw the potential and made the fight official, and during the first press conference, the bad blood was very clear. Dvalishvili is well known for being a true entertainer on the internet. His build-up against Sean O’Malley kept fans invested, and this time he is expected to get the same attention too.
Ex-rival of Merab Dvalishvili joins Umar Nurmagomedov’s camp
The back-and-forth between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov has fans excited for their title clash. However, both fighters are well aware of each other’s capabilities and are taking their respective camps seriously. With Islam Makhachev defending his belt against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311, Team Khabib’s camp has been pretty busy.
Henry Cejudo trains with Umar Nurmagomedov (via Imago/X)Recently, Khabib Nurmagomedov invited former bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo to his camp. Triple C, despite his recent octagon losses, is still a very capable coach. In a recent X post, the fighter talked about working with the Dagestani camp.
Dagestan has always had my utmost respect. There’s something special about the camaraderie and focus these guys bring to the game. True champions lifting each other up!
Henry Cejudo via X
Dagestan has always had my utmost respect. There’s something special about the camaraderie and focus these guys bring to the game. True champions lifting each other up! 🏆
I can’t wait to see Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov perform at #UFC311 🇷🇺👏🏻
Check out the full… pic.twitter.com/MP4h0PcxiS
— Henry Cejudo (@HenryCejudo) December 16, 2024
Cejudo’s UFC return after a three-year hiatus didn’t go as planned. He lost a title opportunity against Aljamain Sterling and then lost to Merab Dvalishvili in a dominating fashion. It’s natural for the legendary fighter to root for Nurmagomedov against his old rival.
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