Umar Nurmagomedov’s journey in the UFC has been nothing short of meteoric. He’s climbed the rankings fast and is on the verge of a title shot. But now, he’s hit a bit of a snag as the problems with the new champion, Merab Dvalishvili, continue to increase.
Fresh off his victory against Cory Sandhagen, Nurmagomedov had his sights set on the big prize. The bantamweight title, newly adorned on Merab Dvalishvili’s waist, was calling his name. But ‘The Machine’ was not exactly jumping at the chance to face the younger Nurmagomedov. Coach Javier Mendez recently spoke up about what is next for the Dagestani bantamweight.
“I look forward to the next time Umar will fight. He’s not going to wait for his opportunity. If the UFC doesn’t give him a fight, Umar will say, ‘Okay, you’re not going to give me a fight? I’ll take whoever’s next. I’ve got to fight him anyway.’ So Umar, he’s fine. He’ll fight whoever they put in front of him,” said Mendez via The Javier Mendez Podcast.
Umar Nurmagomedov, unsurprisingly, isn’t thrilled about this turn of events. He accused Merab of dodging the fight with him and trying to call out other people who he thought he could beat.
This whole situation has sparked quite a debate in the MMA world. Some fans are crying foul, accusing the UFC of fast-tracking Umar. Others are chomping at the bit to see what he can do. Only time will tell if the UFC matchmakers find this potential fight interesting.
Umar Nurmagomedov Berates Merab Dvalishvili For Being A Hypocrite
A war of words has erupted between two top fighters in the bantamweight division, Nurmagomedov and Dvalishvili. The undefeated Dagestani isn’t pulling any punches. He’s calling out the Georgian fighter for what he sees as blatant hypocrisy. The source of this beef boils down to who deserves a title shot and when.
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Dvalishvili recently claimed the bantamweight throne at UFC 306. Fans and even Joe Rogan expected Umar to be next in line for a title shot. But ‘The Machine’ had other ideas. He suggested that Deiveson Figueiredo deserved the next crack at the belt. This didn’t sit well with Umar Nurmagomedov, as he felt snubbed and decided to fire back.
Umar Nurmagomedov pointed out Dvalishvili’s silence when his friend, Ilia Topuria, received a fast-tracked title shot. Topuria had only beaten one top-five opponent before his championship bout. The irony wasn’t lost on MMA fans, as Dvalishvili had previously criticized Umar for supposedly using his family name to climb the ranks. Now, he faces accusations of favoritism himself.
