As if being forced to fight Umar Nurmagomedov for his first title defense wasn’t enough, Merab Dvalishvili now has to contend with his former training partner Magdi Amachov switching camps ahead of UFC 311. However, the bantamweight champion isn’t losing any sleep over it.
In a candid interview with The Schmo, Dvalishvili addressed the situation with an air of understanding, explaining why the move didn’t come as a surprise.
“Bro, I love him and I did help him…But I just… I don’t [mind] because I don’t own him, you know. He’s a big man, and he can do whatever he wants. He’s from Dagestan… They call each other Muslim brothers.”
Coming from Dagestan, Amachov shares cultural and spiritual ties with Umar Nurmagomedov’s team. Dvalishvili acknowledged Amachov’s admiration for Khabib and Islam as well and admitted it was only natural for him to gravitate toward their camp.
The UFC bantamweight contender has plenty on his plate as it is, and doesn’t need the burden of worrying about any potential betrayals; not that he sees it that way.
Merab has long stated that Umar never deserved a title shot because he had defeated nobody in the sport. Comparing his own journey to the Dagestani challenger, Merab had claimed that Umar only got to where he is due to his famous last name.
Even during their UFC 311 presser, the champion made his feelings known towards Umar and asked him to show respect and ‘be a man’.
Umar Nurmagomedov: “You’re the champion. Everybody wants to fight with you. … If you don’t want everybody to fight you, leave the belt.”
Merab Dvalishvili: “You have to be a man first. … F*ck everything else. You have to be a man.” pic.twitter.com/UhgwXOqo6k
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) December 7, 2024
However, since the presser, Merab has been rather focused on dealing with the biggest threat of his UFC career.
Umar is spoilt baby, claims Merab
Dvalishvili has no doubts that he will dominate Umar ahead of their clash at UFC 311. And truth be told, he just might. It is unlikely he will be able to hold down Umar the way he held down Sean O’Malley at UFC: Noche to win the title. However, Umar has also never faced anyone with the relentless pressure Merab brings into the octagon.
It’s just takedowns after takedowns. Even if Umar stuffs one, the next one is always on the way.
However, Merab claims he wants to strike with Umar. He is not interested in taking him down and establishing top control.
“I’m gonna make him humble. I think Umar is a spoiled little baby. He’s been disrespectful….January 18th I’m gonna prove it … Every time I fight against top contenders I make them look easy. I think I’ll do the same again”
For Merab, this is not just about winning. He has long felt disrespected by fans and critics over social media, who didn’t give him a shot against O’Malley when he fought for the title and aren’t willing to bet on him now that he’s defending it. So he doesn’t only want to defeat Umar, he wants to hand the Nurmagomedov family their first loss in the UFC just to make a point.
