Fans cast doubt on Umar Nurmagomedov's chances against Merab Dvalishvili as resurfaced 2020 video shows him struggling against 17-year-old wrestler

Fans are expressing skepticism about Umar Nurmagomedov’s prospects in a potential title fight against Merab Dvalishvili. Following Dvalishvili's victory over Sean O'Malley at UFC 306, it appears Nurmagomedov is poised to challenge for the bantamweight title.

The undefeated fighter secured his spot as the number two contender after a significant win against Cory Sandhagen in August.

Despite his impressive performances, Nurmagomedov is now facing doubts after an old video from 2020 surfaced showing him struggling against a 17-year-old wrestler. The footage has sparked discussions about how Nurmagomedov would handle Dvalishvili's renowned wrestling abilities.

Fans took to social media to voice their concerns with one commenting that Merab would easily overpower him:

"Imagine what merab would do to him😂😂,” the fan wrote.

Another highlighted Nurmagomedov’s need for a knockout to avoid a difficult night given Dvalishvili's durability and exceptional cardio, writing:

“I’ve already say this and I’ll say it again. If Umar can’t knock Merab out he is in for a long night. Merab is durable and his cardio is outstanding so Umar better plan on knocking out Merab."

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fans react to old wrestling footage of Umar Nurmagomedov. [Screenshot courtesy: @homeoffight via. Instagram]

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Aiemann Zahabi weighs in on a potential Merab Dvalishvili vs Umar Nurmagomedov championship clash

In a recent interview with MMA Canada, Aiemann Zahabi discussed the potential difficulties Umar Nurmagomedov may face in a matchup with Merab Dvalishvili.

Zahabi noted that Nurmagomedov exhibited signs of mental struggle during his fight against Cory Sandhagen which could be detrimental against the relentless Dvalishvili. He remarked that Nurmagomedov appeared nervous after the first round of the bout, stating that Khabib Nurmagomedov did well to reassure him from the corner.

Zahabi highlighted that Nurmagomedov was unable to dominate Sandhagen on the ground as expected and seemed surprised by Sandhagen's effective defense. This lack of mental resilience could play a crucial role in a fight with Dvalishvili, according to Zahabi:

"Did you watch the fight against Umar vs. Cory Sandhagen? One thing that I found about that fight was after round one, he looked kind of nervous. But Khabib did such a good job of being in his corner and telling him, 'It's fine. You're gonna take him down again,'" Zahabi said.

He added:

"Because when he first stepped out, Cory did a super good job of rolling, grabbing, you know, defending the wrestling well. Umar didn't just dominate him on the ground. It almost looked like Umar wasn't expecting Cory to be able to defend that well. He kind of looked shell-shocked a bit."

Check out Aiemann Zahabi's comments below (14:01):