Merab Dvalishvili isn’t happy with the way he was treated at the UFC Performance Institute (P.I.) and he blames Umar Nurmagomedov for it. The UFC bantamweight champion claims he was denied entry into the UFC P.I in Las Vegas because Umar was inside, and security was instructed to keep them apart.
“I’m here in front of UFC P.I. and security don’t let me go in because they said Umar Nurmagomedov is inside and they are protecting him… I’m gonna smash this guy because of all the disrespect… You better show up Umar.”
It’s all good – this guy will get what is coming to him on January 18th. #ufc311 pic.twitter.com/hC8YN6vkX9
— Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) December 23, 2024
The tension between the two fighters has been building for months, and with their fight set for UFC 311 in January 2025 at the Inuit Dome in Inglewood, California, it’s safe to say the rivalry has reached a boiling point.
Merab has repeatedly called Umar disrespectful and made it clear he has no love for the Dagestani fighter.
This latest incident at the UFC P.I. has only added fuel to the fire. While it’s unclear if the UFC was genuinely trying to avoid a confrontation or if Merab is just adding his own spin to the situation, it’s probably good that the two have been separated before their official fight.
After all, Merab got into a fight with a fan at the UFC 311 presser after he went berserk on the mic, telling Umar that he was a man first.
Dvalishvili has had enough of Umar
The back-and-forth was intense but it was Merab who seemed to take it personally, letting his frustrations spill over in front of the crowd. The champion perhaps had wanted a few title defenses under his belt before fighting a Dagestani wrestler who could keep up his style of relentless pressure.
MERAB CRASHES OUT AT UMAR AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE
“F*** THIS BELT, F*** THE MONEY, F*** EVERYTHING!!”#UFC311 #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/WjcLpW5R1x
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 6, 2024
He had even called out O’Malley for a rematch and then decided to fight Deiveson Figueiredo and Petr Yan before the UFC seemingly stepped in and made him sign on the dotted line with Umar’s name on it.
After the event, the bantamweight champ continued his verbal assault on Twitter, posting a scathing message aimed at Umar,
“This guy is getting a gift to fight me—didn’t move up the ranks on his own—just through one ranked fight and a last name. He is a spoiled brat who continuously spews lies and disrespect. Tune in to UFC 311 and he will get exactly what he deserves!”
Earlier this year, Merab had tried to avoid fighting Umar on multiple occasions, claiming that the challenger was undeserving and was only fighting for the title courtesy of his famous last name.
