‘Not Taking Him Down Like O’Malley’: Merab Promises Striking Battle Against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311

Merab Dvalishvili might be known for his relentless takedowns and top control but he doesn’t plan on indulging in old habits while inside the octagon for his first title defense against Umar Nurmagomedov. As he gears up for UFC 311, the bantamweight champion promises a strike fest and to punch Umar’s face among other things.

Speaking on the Believe You Me podcast with Michael Bisping, the Georgian champion claimed that he will not repeat the strategy he used against Sean O’Malley at UFC: Noche to win the title.

” I’m going to break the guy. I’m not going to look to take him down, control, lay on top like O’Malley. I’m going to punch his face, kick his legs, keep it on the feet, and I’m going to show a good fight.”

Merab has long been criticized for his inability, or rather his unwillingness to finish fights. Of the 13 fights he’s had in the UFC so far, only one has come by the way of a KO. Merab is often successful in taking down his opponents but has never been really good at keeping them down or going for a finish.

Much like a volume puncher, Dvalishvili uses multiple takedowns to score points and win his fights by decisions. So it will be interesting to see to what extent he is willing to keep his word and indulge in a trade of blows with Umar.

This approach would make the fight a lot more exciting but put the champ at a greater risk since Umar is believed to be a superior fighter on his feet. However, given how angry Merab has been at Umar since winning the title, it doesn’t exactly come as a surprise to see him step out of his comfort zone.

Not just this, Merab also has a response to Umar’s corner featuring the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 311.

Georgia’s dynamic duo

Every time Khabib has shown up in either Umar or Islam Makhachev’s corner, they have managed to win the fight. To be fair, Umar is undefeated and Islam hasn’t lost a fight in a eon but Khabib’s presence does add a certain intensity to any event.

To counter that, Merab is expected to have coach Ray Longo, John Wood, and his teammate and best friend Aljamain Sterling as part of his team at UFC 311. However, when pressed about who else he would like to see backing him, the champ joked about asking fellow Georgian champion.

“Yeah, I’m going to ask Ilia, if he wants this we will see.”

Of course, it was all in jest, and the idea of Topuria, who has his own UFC ambitions, joining Merab’s corner is like playful banter than a serious suggestion. But imagine the scenes if Topuria does indulge in the fantasy!