Umar Nurmagomedov recently took a dig at Merab Dvalishvili after the newly crowned champion's latest comments. Nurmagomedov called out 'The Machine' for his hypocrisy, citing that the latter didn't question countryman Ilia Topuria's quick ascent towards the featherweight title.
Before Noche UFC 306, Dvalishvili claimed that Nurmagomedov is favored because of his ties to UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Georgian fighter was unimpressed by the rising bantamweight's promotional record, which included only one win over a ranked contender, and labeled 'Young Eagle' an easy fight.
After ruling out Nurmagomedov, Dvalishvili named former two-time flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo as his next possible opponent. However, that didn't sit well with the undefeated Dagestani, who took to X and slammed Dvalishvili for his remarks, writing:
''When Merab’s friend, Topuria fought for the title, after 6 consecutive wins, and beating only one top 5 ranked opponent Josh Emmet, I don’t remember that Merab was desperately protesting against such ‘unfairness’.''
Dvalishvili put up a dominant performance against Sean O'Malley and captured the bantamweight title this past weekend at Noche UFC 306. Following his win, the 33-year-old was asked if Nurmagomedov would be his first title defense. Dvalishvili said he would confer with UFC CEO Dana White before deciding his next fight.
Furthermore, at the press conference held after the fight, Dvalishvili disregarded the Russian as a serious contender for the title, asserting that Figueiredo was more worthy of the shot.
Nurmagomedov is coming off a unanimous decision win against Cory Sandhagen at UFC Abu Dhabi and is expected to fight for the bantamweight title next. The 28-year-old recently took to X and congratulated Dvalishvili for his victory, writing:
''White Papakha vs Black Papakha. Have to be. Congratulations @MerabDvalishvil Right now you champion, You deserve this belt, Enjoy.''
Umar Nurmagomedov's brother sends strong warning to Merab Dvalishvili
Umar Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili have been going at each other on social media and in interviews lately about who should challenge for bantamweight gold next.
Umar's brother, reigning Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov, issued a stern warning to 'The Machine' in a recent Instagram story, writing:
"You [Dvalishvili] can run, but you can't hide. Soon Umar will become undisputed, undefeated bantamweight champion, and will hold this belt for as long as he wants."