There can be no question over the physical toughness of UFC stars. Top mixed martial arts fighters are some of the hardest men on the planet, capable of taking — and handing out — incredible punishment. But are they equally tough mentally? That’s the question around Umar Nurmagomedov, after UFC 311 in January.
With his 18-0 record on the line, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin was up against one of the very best in his division — bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili — in that fight.
Umar normally dominates fights and finishes them early. However, he was unsurprisingly pushed all the way by Dvalishvili. He lost in the end by unanimous decision. Dealt his first loss in MMA, Umar was also the latest victim of Merab’s takedown specialism.
Before the fight, Umar had never suffered a takedown in his career. By the end of the fight, the Dagestani fighter endured seven of them at the hands of Dvalishvili.
Now that the dust has settled, it remains to be seen who Umar Nurmagomedov fights next. He remains the #2 in the bantamweight division, only behind former champ Sean O’Malley.
But fans are likely more concerned about something else. Five months on from that humbling loss, with his undefeated streak wiped, UFC fans will be wondering what mental state Umar is in.
Another highly promising bantamweight, who is keen to fight Umar, believes that the mental strain of the UFC 311 loss is weighing heavily on him, as is the nature of that loss. And it’s an aspect that this bantamweight believes he can exploit.
“I guess he did kind of get exposed against Merab. It’s his whole gas tank kind of deal,” assessed Mario Bautista during a conversation with RJ Clifford on MMA on SiriusXM. “And then even after the fight, he [Umar] just came up with loads of excuses. All these guys come up with excuses once they lose, and that’s just a mental thing.
“If you’re like that mentally, I feel like you’re so easy to crack. You might do well, you might be successful. But if you have that mentality against me, I will crack it, I’ll get the win.”
Bantamweight Mario Bautista was very decisive in his assessment of Umar’s loss to Merab, perhaps still riding the wave of his impressive win over former Bellator champion Patchy Mix. With the win, Bautista climbed to #9 in the division, taking his record to 16-2.
He is yet to challenge for a title in the UFC. However, if he continues this streak, he will no doubt force the hand of the UFC brass. And as good as Umar still is, Bautista remains more than confident that he can dispose of the division #2 easily.
Mario Bautista: My numbers speak for themselves
Bautista clearly has no doubts over his own capabilities in the Octagon, especially after his UFC 316 win. And if Bautista’s self-confidence isn’t convincing enough, he pointed fans towards his impressive UFC statistics.
“I have the third-longest win streak in bantamweight history at number eight, behind Aljo [Aljamain Sterling] and Merab. And as far as being active, I have the second-highest win streak in this division. I deserve to be in top five.”
When asked by RJ Clifford who he wanted to fight next, Bautista emphasized his willingness to fight anyone.
“I can fight a wrestler, I can fight a striker, I can fight Umar. I would like to fight [Cory] Sandhagen,” stated Bautista emphatically.
“But like you said, I think he’s going to be next in line. Whatever gets me closer to the top. The more I look at it, I really like that Umar fight… But I’m looking for a top five.”
Bautista has only fought one of the current bantamweight top five, and that was back in 2019. The Nevada native lost on his UFC debut to current #4 Cory Sandhagen by submission, perhaps explaining why Bautista is keen to avenge the loss.
Bautista is the standout fighter outside of the top five. But if he wants to challenge for titles, a big scalp is an absolute must in his next fight. Umar Nurmagomedov might just be the perfect candidate.
