Many bantamweight fighters, including Deiveson Figueiredo, Petr Yan, and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin Umar Nurmagomedov, are eagerly pursuing a shot at the bantamweight title. Umar, known as ‘The Young Eagle,’ is engaged in a persistent social media feud with Merab Dvalishvili. The Dagestani fighter has accused the Georgian of dodging a fight with him, but Dvalishvili recently responded with a bold statement on social media.
After his victory over Cory Sandhagen at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi, ‘The Young Eagle’ Umar Nurmagomedov began actively pursuing a title shot. But Dvalishvili, who won the title at UFC 306 by defeating Sean O’Malley, dismissed Umar as an unworthy challenger, pointing to his limited wins against ranked opponents. Although Umar initially arranged a fight with Song Yadong at UFC Tampa on Dec. 14, the bout fell through when Umar claimed that Yadong wasn’t ready to compete. Recently, Dvalishvili called out Nurmagomedov on social media, accusing him of lying about the fight and saying:
“Don’t be fooled again by the bullsh*t coming out of Umar’s lying mouth. Yadong didn’t pull out of any fight – he was ready – Umar didn’t sign. Keep talking crap – you need to work hard and fight other contenders to be the number one contender. You are a gift from the UFC, as everyone knows, without earning it. I can’t wait to smash your face and every lying word that comes out of that mouth when you time comes.”
Dvalishvili maintains that Umar doesn’t yet deserve a title shot. Previously, ‘The Machine’ suggested that Umar’s rise is largely due to former lightweight champion Khabib’s influence. Although the fight hasn’t been confirmed, Dvalishvili now appears more interested in facing Umar.
Merab Dvalishvili Agrees To Fight Umar Nurmagomedov After Long-Awaited Build-Up
Dvalishvili has finally answered Umar Nurmagomedov’s persistent callouts, hinting at a potential fight with him. Previously, Dvalishvili argued that Umar didn’t deserve a title shot and credited his rise to his cousin, Khabib. During the UFC 306 post-fight press conference, he also suggested former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo as a worthy opponent.
However, it now appears Umar could be next, as Dvalishvili recently said, “Guys- I hear all of you! I am a company man. Whoever the UFC puts in front of me, I will fight as I always do, even if I don’t think they deserve the next shot. Let’s Go.”
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As of now, the fight hasn’t been officially confirmed. However, ‘The Machine’ is expected to return in 2025, as all this year’s pay-per-view events are already booked. Fans will certainly be eager for an official announcement regarding this matchup.
