Merab Dvalishvili teases Ilia Topuria's potential role in UFC 311 showdown against Umar Nurmagomedov

Merab Dvalishvili is seeking to bring Ilia Topuria to support him in his upcoming fight. Dvalishvili will attempt his first bantamweight title defense against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 on Jan. 18.

The two fighters have been embroiled in a bitter competitive rivalry, with Umar receiving a strong support from his teammates, including Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov, who frequently accompany him as cornermen.

During an interview with TNT Sports, after the UFC 311 press conference on Dec. 7, 2024, MMA journalist Caroline Pearce asked Dvalishvili if he would bring Topuria to be by his side on the fight day. Dvalishvili replied:

"I'm going to ask Ilia, we'll see. I am here in Syndicate MMA... I live here, I train here at Syndicate MMA. John Wood is coaching me and Ray Longo will fly out from New York and Aljamain Sterling - my best friend and training partner - will be with me. I'm going to ask Ilia if he has time and go from there."

The video clip of Dvalishvili's interview was re-posted by @Home_of_Fight on X.

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments below:

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For those unfamiliar, Dvalishvili and Topuria are two of Georgia's most successful UFC fighters. They share a close personal relationship, which led Dvalishvili to declare Topuria as the only champion he would never face in the UFC.

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When Merab Dvalishvili shared his thoughts on Ilia Topuria's UFC 308 win and impact of their success on Georgian MMA scene

Ilia Topuria made history by becoming the first fighter to knock out Max Holloway. He accomplished the feat while defending his featherweight title for the first time at UFC 308 in October 2024. In an interview with TNT Sports after the event, Merab Dvalishvili shared his thoughts on Topuria's competitive abilities:

"I'm so proud of Ilia. I'm inspired by him because how hard-working he is. He knocks people out, he's finishing guys - great, great champions like Max Holloway, Alexander Volkanovski... Never, nobody ever done this one before and he's doing it. So!"

When asked to shed light on the response they've been getting in their home country, Georgia, Dvalishvili said:

"All Georgians are inspired and so many people are in the gym. Every time we fight, the gyms are full... I think soon even my father [will start] MMA training because MMA is so popular in Georgia and even old ladies are watching it and they'e into it.

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments below (0:27):