Umar Nurmagomedov of Team Khabib is the current contender for the UFC bantamweight belt. Newly crowned champion Merab Dvalishvili is not a fan of Nurmagomedov’s title challenge. This has sparked a spat between the two parties. The beef took an unexpected turn recently when Dvalishvili met Nurmagomedov’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz.
Dvalishvili’s team ran into Abdelaziz in a parking lot and started shouting ‘Merab beats Umar‘ chants in order to tease Abdelaziz. Dvalishvili and Abdelaziz then finally met and playfully tried to wrestle each other. Despite the ongoing animosity, seeing both individuals taking it lightly when they met was wholesome.
Nonetheless, the same cannot be applied to their online rivalry and routine mockery of one another. Dvalishvili contends that Khabib Nurmagomedov is to blame for the buzz surrounding Umar, and he doesn’t deserve a title shot. The champion has expressed interest in competing against opponents such as Sean O’Malley and Deiveson Figueiredo rather than the Dagestani.
Team Khabib, on the other hand, is confident in their chances of getting the title shot and has left Dvalishvili with no options. The ‘Young Eagle’ demonstrated his mettle against Cory Sandhagen at UFC Abu Dhabi in August. Amid all the criticism, the young Nurmagomedov is desperate to prove his critics wrong by capturing the title.
Umar Nurmagomedov gives Merab Dvalishvili a preferred timeline for title fight
Merab Dvalishvili stunned everyone with his performance against Sean O’Malley at UFC 306. The Georgian dominated ‘Suga’ for five rounds, leaving the judges no reservations. The bout drew a massive response from his followers across the world. His home country, Georgia, awarded 1 million Lari to ‘The Machine’ for his achievements.
However, Umar Nurmagomedov believes he will go past Merab Dvalishvili with ease. The Dagestani star is doing his level best to get an official date for the title fight. In a recent tweet, Nurmagomedov proposed a January clash before Ramadan.
Hey Merab you know that Ramadan is in March and knowing this you insist on March, in February the tournament will be held in Australia and they won’t put us there. There is a tournament in Los Angeles in January – let’s fight there, and there is enough time to prepare.
Umar Nurmagomedov via X
Hey Merab you know that Ramadan is in March and knowing this you insist on March, in February the tournament will be held in Australia and they won’t put us there.
There is a tournament in Los Angeles in January – let’s fight there, and there is enough time to prepare.
Stop…— Umar Nurmagomedov (@UNmgdv) October 2, 2024
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Umar Nurmagomedov’s desire to win the title derives from Team Khabib’s goal to dominate the UFC. After Islam Makhachev, ‘Young Eagle’ has the potential to become the promotion’s second undisputed champion from their team. This will fit exactly into Khabib Nurmagomedov’s grand plan for Dagestani dominance in the UFC.
