"2 of Merab's sons" - Fans react as Umar Nurmagomedov gets called out by former bantamweight champ

Fans reacted to Petr Yan calling out Umar Nurmagomedov for a top contender bout in the bantamweight division.

In 2024, Yan bounced back from a three-fight losing streak by securing unanimous decision wins against Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo.

Now ranked number two in the bantamweight division, Yan recently took to X (formerly Twitter) and posted a fan-created fight poster featuring him and number three-ranked Nurmagomedov. He added this caption:

"Let's do it! Baku or Abu Dhabi"

Yan's callout was re-posted on X, leading to the following fan reactions:

"2 of Merabs sons."

"If Petr beats Umar then he should get the winner of Merab O Malley."

"Easy win for Petr. Umar will never be the same after what Merab did to him."

"This would be a great fight and a real boost in the arm for both fighters. Umar would be another fight away from a title shot and it would put Yan as the #1 contender."

Fan replies on post by @SpinninBackfist on X

Umar Nurmagomedov started his UFC tenure with a 6-0 record, including three wins inside the distance.

On January 18, Nurmagomedov came up short in his attempt to dethrone Merab Dvalishvili, losing by unanimous decision at UFC 311. At 29 years old, Nurmagomedov plans to silence the doubters later this year by taking out a fellow bantamweight contender.

Meanwhile, Petr Yan, who holds losses against Dvalishvili and Sean O'Malley, the fighters featured in the next bantamweight title fight, looks to prove why he deserves a rematch against one of them.

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Umar Nurmagomedov and the landscape of the UFC bantamweight division

In September 2024, Merab Dvalishvili defeated Sean O'Malley to become the new UFC bantamweight champion. On June 7, O'Malley has an opportunity to avenge his defeat and regain the division's throne when they meet in the UFC 316 main event.

Regardless of the UFC 316 result, the next bantamweight title shot could come down to a potential fight between Umar Nurmagomedov and Petr Yan. There are different scenarios depending on that hypothetical fight, as Nurmagomedov holds a loss against Dvalishvili but hasn't fought O'Malley.

Meanwhile, number four-ranked Cory Sandhagen and number five-ranked Deiveson Figueiredo are scheduled to clash in the UFC Iowa main event on May 3.