Umar Nurmagomedov had been rising to the UFC ascension quite rapidly. With an undefeated record, the Dagestani challenged for the bantamweight title against the reigning champion, Merab Dvalishvili. While the majority of the UFC realm expected Nurmagomedov to win the belt, the reality played out quite differently. Throughout the bout, Dvalishvili looked sharp and had his cardio on point.
On the contrary, Nurmagomedov looked quite exhausted as the rounds went by. Interestingly, it was Nurmagomedov who was striking dominantly in the initial phase. After the bout was over, the Dagestani revealed a shocking truth. He had broken his hand in the first round itself. With Nurmagomedov expected to be out for a significantly long time, the recent update will surely make his fans happy.
“I’ll be able to punch in four months, so I’ll probably return in six [months],” Nurmagomedov mentioned recently.
Umar Nurmagomedov provides an update on his hand injury:
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 10, 2025
"I'll be able to punch in four months, so I'll probably return in six [months]." 👀
🎥 @UNmgdv #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/1vID1XHs0M
It is unknown how much of an impact the broken hand had on Nurmagomedov. While it is not known whether this cost the young Dagestani the match, Chael Sonnen shared a surprising take on the bout.
Chael Sonnen Thinks Umar Nurmagomedov Won UFC 311
After Bruce Buffer went to the judges’ scorecards, it was Merab Dvalishvili whose hands were raised. While there was no prominent controversy, a lot of fans thought the initial couple of rounds went in favor of Umar Nurmagomedov. Reflecting on the same, Chael Sonnen had some surprising claims to make. According to him, it was Umar who must have been given the belt instead.
“I thought Umar won the fight…When they announced Merab, I thought there was going to be a lot of boos. I was alone. I thought they were going to give Umar Rounds 1, 2 and 3. I think anybody would’ve agreed that it comes down to Round 3. (Rounds) 4 and 5 were very clear, 1 and 2 were very clear,” Sonnen stated.
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Surely, there is no telling whether the decision was actually a controversial one. However, nursing his injury, one thing’s for sure. Umar Nurmagomedov will be back again for the UFC bantamweight title.
Also Read: “Changed The Game Plan”- Javier Mendez Drops Shocking Claim About Umar Nurmagomedov’s Injury
