‘Assembling All Avengers’: Henry Cejudo Joins Forces With Umar Nurmagomedov Ahead of Merab Dvalishvili Showdown, Fans React

It looks like Khabib Nurmagomedov is assembling his own squad of Avengers ahead of some major UFC battles. Henry Cejudo, the former UFC double champion, was spotted training with Umar Nurmagomedov and Team Khabib, helping the Dagestani gear up for his highly anticipated title fight against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311.

Fans are buzzing about this powerhouse alliance, while also talking about Demetrious Johnson lending his expertise to help Umar and Islam Makhachev sharpen their skills a couple of days back.

Umar Nurmagomedov training with Henry Cejudo ahead of his fight against Merab

@TeamKhabib #UFC311 #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/jHnLsxekvm

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 13, 2024

“They’re assembling legends for MERAB let’s goo,” one fan said after seeing both Johnson and Cejudo train at Team Khabib’s camp. Another one spoke about how unfair it is to Dvalishvili, who has been training with Aljamain Sterling, “Their training camp seems a little unfair ngl.”

One fan pointed out how the AKA gym has been drawing fighters: “Everyone flocking to witness a khabib camp.”

This fan took it as a sign that Dvalishvili is not as easy an opponent as Umar had claimed earlier. “First Mighty Mouse now Cejudo..Why does he need the avengers if he says Merab is easy work?”

Another one highlighted that Cejudo also stands to gain by training with Umar. “This is actually really good for Henry as well. Sparring with Umar, he can find out if he’s still capable of competing with the best in the division.”

Umar’s opponent, Merab ‘The Machine’, however,  has not been training with legends. Instead, he has been amping up the trash talk to try and get into Umar’s head.

Merab recreates bathtub picture

Dvalishvili is taking his pre-fight banter to the next level against the younger Nurmagomedov. In his latest jab, Merab posed with his team to recreate the infamous Dagestani bathtub photo. He edited in Umar’s face to make it look like he was the one taking the picture.

Thank for taking the pic Khabib’s Cousin – we are good for now until the fight. See you on January 18th. LFG pic.twitter.com/NK7sQgMaPU

— Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) December 11, 2024

Umar, on his part, has kept his tone sharp but composed, embodying the calm confidence the Dagestani fighters are known for. Merab, with his lively personality, has embraced a more playful yet cutting approach, further hyping their January 18 clash.

The back-and-forth has turned their matchup into one of the most talked-about fights on the UFC 311 card, proving that the mental game outside the cage can be just as thrilling as the physical battle inside it.