Merab Dvalishvili is fired up.
Dvalishvili is set to defend his bantamweight title against Umar Nurmagomedov next month in the co-main event of UFC 311. The tension between the two fighters was evident at the first press conference for the event in Las Vegas, where Dvalishvili expressed his belief that Nurmagomedov doesn’t deserve the fight.
Dvalishvili revealed, “Of course it’s personal because every time I see him, I give him my respect and shake his hand. He started talking trash online, and real men don’t do this. So it’s personal for me.”
He continued, “It’s going to be a tough fight. He’s a good fighter. But he didn’t earn it like everybody else. He only fought no-wrestling [Cory] Sandhagen. You have to go through the best to prove yourself.”
Dvalishvili further confronted Nurmagomedov during the press conference, shouting personal attacks and claiming Nurmagomedov is not a good man.
Nurmagomedov responded calmly, denying making any personal attacks and stating that Dvalishvili avoided him. This fueled Dvalishvili’s anger further.
The heated exchange continued as Dvalishvili criticized Nurmagomedov for trying to fight him when he was ranked lower.
The tension escalated with Dvalishvili accusing Nurmagomedov of lying and disrespecting him.
Despite attempts to calm the situation, Dvalishvili continued to express his anger towards Nurmagomedov.
Eventually, the confrontation ended with harsh words exchanged, but no physical altercation occurred.
The UFC 311 event is scheduled for Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.
