Merab Dvalishvili, the newly crowned UFC bantamweight champ, just stirred up a geopolitical hornet’s nest. It all started when Dvalishvili made some eyebrow-raising comments about his potential opponent, Umar Nurmagomedov. The Georgian fighter claimed Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev shouldn’t be considered Russian despite hailing from Dagestan.
Dvalishvili’s stance was that Dagestan is its own entity, separate from Russia. But Islam Makhachev, Nurmagomedov’s teammate, wasn’t about to let that slide. He fired back, defending their Russian identity. “The Machine” Dvalishvili didn’t back down, though. He explained his position on Jake Shields’ podcast.
“We all know that Khabib and Islam they’re from Dagestan, Khamzat is from Chechnya, Movsar Evloev is from Ingushetia. They are all different countries…Now somehow Russia take over those countries and they have to represent Russia,” said Dvalishvili.
Merab Dvalishvili pointed out that Dagestan and Chechnya were once independent countries. It seems that the new bantamweight champion is not a big fan of Russia. But ‘The Machine’ himself was born in the Soviet Union. He was, however, quick to clarify that Georgia, his homeland, is now an independent state, unlike Dagestan, which remains a Russian republic.
The whole situation is as tangled as a submission hold. Merab Dvalishvili’s comments have opened up a can of worms. They’ve highlighted the complex identities in the Caucasus region. Dvalishvili himself is now a dual citizen, having lived in the U.S. since 2012.
Islam Makhachev Claps Back At Merab Dvalishvili’s Comments About Team Khabib’s Nationality
Dvalishvili recently claimed that Umar Nurmagomedov, his potential next opponent, isn’t really Russian. But hold your horses because Islam Makhachev wasn’t about to let that slide. The lightweight champ jumped into the fray, defending his teammate’s nationality.
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Makhachev didn’t pull back any punches. He fired back, saying Dvalishvili was clueless about the situation. He believed that ‘The Machine’ should not say things he has no knowledge of whatsoever.
“[Merab] lives in America. He has no clue what he’s talking about. Dagestan is part of Russia,” said Makhachev via Ushatayka.
The crux of the matter revolved around Dagestan’s status within Russia. Merab Dvalishvili sees it as separate, while Makhachev insists it’s part of Russia. This verbal tussle adds an extra layer of intrigue. It’s not just about physical prowess anymore. It’s about cultural identity and national pride. Maybe this will be the focus of their pre-fight trash talk if the UFC decides to match Dvalishvili against Umar Nurmagomedov.
