‘Company Man’ Merab Dvalishvili Reveals He Sacrificed Vacation for Umar Nurmagomedov Fight at UFC 311

After months of being called out by fans and fighters for allegedly avoiding Umar Nurmagomedov, Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili officially agreed to face the undefeated Dagestani at UFC 311 to defend his bantamweight title. And in doing so, he’s reportedly given up on a lot of quality vacation time.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani, the bantamweight champion claimed,

“I was gonna travel little bit and I was gonna enjoy Christmas…..So basically UFC needed me in January and I step up, I’m a company man.”

Critics had long accused Merab of being scared of Nurmagomedov, and the constant noise got under his skin. Initially, several names like Deiveson Figueredo and Petr Yan were floated as potential opponents for Dvalishvili, but the chatter about him “ducking” never stopped.

Now, with the fight officially on, Merab is just angry. The pre-UFC 311 presser saw him make multitudes of personal comments at Umar and accusations about disrespect that don’t seem to have happened. Merab also got into a physical altercation with a fan present at UFC 310.

The bantamweight champion might have preferred an easier opponent for his first title defense, but the UFC seldom allows that. But this doesn’t mean the fight is done and dusted. Despite the volatility of the situation and the outpouring of emotions, this is a fairly even contest.

Umar, known for his precise striking and grappling skills, poses a significant challenge for anyone in the division. But Merab, with his relentless pace and cardio, is no stranger to tough fights.

The matchup is shaping up to be a showdown of styles, and both fighters have something to prove, Umar wants to solidify his rise as a title contender, while ‘The Machine‘ is determined to reaffirm his position as the champion. This fight isn’t just about silencing the critics; it’s about showing he’s always ready to take on anyone, anytime.

And since he perceives Umar calling him out as an insult to his manhood, he also wants to make him apologize.

Merab wants Umar to apologize

The tension between Merab and Umar runs deeper than just competition. According to Merab, Nurmagomedov has been disrespectful in the lead-up to their long-anticipated clash, and the Georgian fighter won’t take it lying down.

In a fiery statement, Merab made it clear he expects an apology from Umar after their fight at UFC 311, which he fully believes he will win. But if the apology doesn’t come? Merab has no qualms about taking matters into his own hands,

“He may get a slap after the fight… even if I have to go to Dagestan, I will go.”

Now, that might be more difficult than his title defense at UFC 311.