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Merab Dvalishvili really doesn’t want to fight Umar Nurmagomedov.
From the moment the UFC bantamweight title was wrapped around his waist in September, Dvalishvili has been very vocal about his disdain for the undefeated Dagestani standout and his lack of wins against ranked opponents.
Regardless, Nurmagomedov will have an opportunity to claim his first world title when he challenges ‘The Machine’ at UFC 311 on January 18.
Nurmagomedov, 18-0, earned his spot with a dominant decision win over Cory Sandhagen in August that skyrocketed him from the bottom of the top 15 to the No. 2 spot.
While it was undoubtedly the biggest win of Nurmagomedov’s career thus far, it wasn’t enough to convince Dvalishvili that he was worthy of a shot at the 135-pound crown.
“Umar is a good fighter. It’s a big challenge, but he don’t earn it like the rest of us,” Dvalishvili told ESPN. “We all know we work hard to get here, I don’t get anything easy, but somehow gets easy. He just complains all the time that nobody wants to fight him, but there are so many good fighters. There’s (Mario) Bautista, there are other fighters that are killers.
“But yeah, he fought only (Cory) Sandhagen (with) no wrestling, and he’s using that excuse that he beat the No. 2 guy, and now he’s here. It’s a big challenge, but the only thing I hate is that he don’t earn it how UFC fighters should earn it, and he’s just cocky. He should be humble at least, and he just disrespects me and lying, and that’s not what real men should do. That’s it.”
Merab Dvalishvili knows he’s in for a tough test against Umar Nurmagomedov
Dvalishvili may not approve of the path Nurmagomedov has taken, but he can’t deny that the Dagestani is a highly skilled opponent who presents a tough challenge.
“The fight will be really tough and this is a big, big challenge for me because it’s a new face and yeah, he’s a good fighter,” Dvalishvili said. “He’s good at kicking, striking, wrestling, and it’s a new challenge.”
It will be Dvalishvili’s first time defending the bantamweight title since taking it off ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 in September.
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