Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov’s heated exchanged ahead of UFC 311 is proof that bad blood makes for must-see fights. What started as a disagreement over title shot eligibility has now turned into a full-on grudge match between the two wrestlers and we are here for it.
The tension between Merab and Umar can be traced back to a seemingly harmless comment. Merab, always one to speak his mind, suggested that Deiveson Figueiredo deserved a title shot more than Umar. Fair opinion, right?
Not in Umar’s book.
He didn’t take kindly to the jab, and ever since, the Dagestani fighter has been firing verbal shots at the champion. Their trash-talking reached a boiling point when they ran into each other at a UFC event and had to be held back by their teams and security. But the exchanges gave us gems like-
“I’m gonna smash your a*s…..piece of s*it.”
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From subtle digs to direct callouts, Umar’s trash talk turned into a campaign, painting ‘The Machine‘ as someone who avoids challenges. But if there’s one thing Merab isn’t, it’s a dodger. Known for his relentless fighting style and warrior spirit, Merab had enough of the chatter.
Yes, Dana White has finally spilled the tea, revealing that Merab agreed to the UFC 311 fight purely out of frustration with Umar’s constant verbal attacks. The reasoning? He wants to settle their differences where it counts: in the Octagon.
Merab wants to silence Umar
According to White, Merab Dvalishvili had reached his boiling point after months of trash talk from Umar Nurmagomedov.
Fed up with the disrespect, Merab stormed into the UFC office and laid it out. UFC explains it all on a video he posted from his X account.
“Merab came into the office late last night, told us that he is tired of listening to Umar disrespect him and wanted to make this fight happen as soon as possible. We called Umar, he was sleeping in Dagestan. He said, ‘hell yes, anywhere and anytime’.”
Makhachev vs Tsarukyan and Dvalishvili vs Nurmagomedov is LIVE January 18th from @intuitdome, California! #UFC311 pic.twitter.com/XZuAFUYAyC
— danawhite (@danawhite) December 5, 2024
The hype for this fight is through the roof as this seems to be the start of a new iconic rivalry in the UFC. And the stakes are high on both sides. For the champ, it is a question of not letting someone get away with disrespecting him and retaining his title.
For Umar, he is fighting for the legacy and the expectations that come with having the last name Nurmagomedov. If he wants to succeed in the UFC, he will have to win this fight and show the fans and fighters alike that he is not just all hype.
