Umar Nurmagomedov Issues Bold Warning to Bantamweight Division as He Nears UFC Title Shot

Despite just recently entering the top 5 bantamweight rankings, Umar Nurmagomedov is already pushing for the title shot. Following his win over Dan Hooker, he rose to the #2 ranked contender in the division ahead of the likes of Petr Yan. Many fans and fighters alike have not been happy with this but that doesn’t bother the Dagestani fighter as he put the entire division on notice.

At this rate, ‘The Eagle’ and his team will soon take over the Bantamweight division just like they did with the lightweight division.

Umar Nurmagomedov is here, despite what the champion Sean O’Malley thinks or the #1 contender Merab Dvalishvili thinks, he’s here and he’s breathing down their necks.

And if it wasn’t clear, he’s coming for all of them, he didn’t leave much to imagination with this tweet.

“Anyone who wishes to wear the crown must bear its weight.”

 

This weekend, the bantamweight title will be on the line as Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley fight for it. The young Dagestani fighter will be eagerly looking forward to fighting the winner of that fight. Because whoever comes out of that cage with the UFC gold is be looking right at the mad man from the mountains from Dagestan.

That said, not everybody thinks he deserves it.  Dvalishvili, for instance believes he is in the spot for the title because of his famous cousin, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

He believes, ‘Young Eagle’ needs to fight more ranked opponents first as right now, he has but one fight against a ranked opponent.

So if Dvalishvili does become champion on Saturday night, he has already decided that he will not be giving Umar Nurmagomedov the title shot.

Dvalishvili prefers Figueiredo over Umar

Merab Dvalishvili is looking to dethrone Sean O’Malley on Saturday night and he’s so sure of getting the job done, he’s already looking for his next opponents. And although ‘Young Eagle’ is one of the names that comes up, he is not interested in him.

While on the Pound 4 Pound podcast on YouTube, he explained why he does not want to see Umar Nurmagomedov get the title shot next,

“Now he (Umar) got only one win from top 15, Cory Sandhagen. And then now he’s being disrespectful to me. I will fight him no problem, but I think he just don’t deserve. Figueiredo deserves more.”

This is of course only if Merab Dvalishvili can first beat Sean O’Malley. But he’s not wrong.

Deiveson Figueiredo deserves the title shot because of his stellar track record. Not only is he a former champion at flyweight, he has also fought some of the best fighters in the division and is one a 3-fight win streak.

The champ, meanwhile has not made any statements about Umar Nurmagomedov challenging for the title yet.