Team Khabib’s camp has at least a champion or number 1 contender in almost all the weight classes. Such has been the case in bantamweight with the rise of Umar Nurmagomedov, who has put the champion on notice. Nurmagomedov’s win over Cory Sandhagen has brought him closer to the title picture. However, Georgian champion Merab Dvalishvili appears to have a different idea.
Merab Dvalishvili feels the Dagestani fighter hasn’t done enough to merit a title shot. Team Khabib camp responded with ducking accusations. The conclusion of UFC Macau saw Petr Yan extending a call out to the champion. The bantamweight king seemed to agree with the challenger that irked Team Khabib once again. But in doing so, they made a rather bizarre mistake on X that the champion caught on.
What kind of man are you? You let your manager speak bulls**t for you on X?
Merab Dvalishvili via X
Taking note of a strange post from Umar Nurmagomedov, the champion blasted Dagestani for hiding behind his manager, Ali Abdelaziz. It is a floating open secret among MMA fans that manager Abdelaziz snoops into his fighter’s accounts to leave posts, trying to stir the pot. While doing something similar, Abdelaziz allegedly forgot to switch accounts, leaving a strange tweet via Nurmagomedov’s page.
what kind of man are you ??!!!! – you let your manager speak bullsh*t for you on X?? https://t.co/o7BePwat1x
— Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) November 24, 2024
This created quite a hilarious situation for the MMA world. For months, fans have hounded the Georgian champion for ducking his Dagestani rival. So far, the Bantamweight champion has showcased interest in re-matching Sean O’Malley and Petr Yan.
Moreover, Dvalishvili is targeting early 2025 return, which could clash with Ramadan, making things more difficult for the ‘Young Eagle’. It made the bantamweight division’s Nurmagomedov to continue attacking against the champion.
Umar Nurmagomedov believes Merab Dvalishvili is actually scared
Ranked # 2 in the bantamweight division, Umar Nurmagomedov believes he has done enough to warrant a title shot. The unbeaten fighter is currently enjoying a six-fight win streak in the UFC, taking his record to 18-0. With just one ranked win to Nurmagomedov’s name, the champion doesn’t think he deserves a title shot just yet. Furthermore, he accused Nurmagomedov of using ‘Dana White privilege.’
Team Khabib takes charge in leveling more accusations on Merab Dvalishvili (Image via Open Source)Taking his own arduous journey to world title as an example, the newly minted champion urged his rival to do more. Dismissing all these takes as excuses, Nurmagomedov has fired back at the champion. Taking a more aggressive stance, he accused Dvalishvili of being afraid in the face of continues snub.
The man you fear,
At the mere mention of his name,
Your body trembles,
And your heart beats faster. https://t.co/QaYa2DuIqM— Umar Nurmagomedov (@UNmgdv) November 24, 2024
After picking up the UFC gold at Noche UFC, the bantamweight champion has offered to return in 2025. The Georgian fighter could be pushed into a situation by the UFC to defend his throne against Nurmagomedov. Incidentally, a rematch with O’Malley or Yan isn’t out of the question at all. Both matchups could do great business at PPV, eventually leading to a showdown against the ‘Young Eagle.’.
