"Ahead of Jones maybe" - Fans react after Aljamain Sterling makes feelings known about friend Merab Dvalishvili's position in the P4P rankings

After Merab Dvalishvili’s successful title defense against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311, the bantamweight king has moved to the No. 5 spot in pound-for-pound rankings. Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has now reacted to Dvalishvili's position in the pound-for-pound chart.

Both the aforementioned bantamweights have supported one another during their title reigns and are long-term friends and teammates. At UFC 311, Sterling was in the Georgian's corner for his title defense.

With the bantamweight king, now placed at No. 5 on the pound-for-pound chart, 'Funk Master' opined in a post on X:

"Well earned!! I think he should be a tick higher. What do yall think?"

The post caught the attention of a number of fight enthusiasts. One stated:

"ahead of jones maybe but not other 3."

One user commented on the American and the Georgian's bond and wrote:

"Merab shows you so much respect He called you the greatest Bantamweight ever along side Cruz Amazing homies 💥🔥."

Another user came up with their self-made rankings and stated:

"#1 Islam #2 Toporia #3 Pereira #4 Merab #5 Jones #6 Pantoja."

Check out a few more reactions below:

Fan reactions (courtesy of @iHeartGeorgius1's post on X)

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Merab Dvalishvili's opponent issues a statement post-loss

Umar Nurmagomedov suffered the first loss of his career at UFC 311 at the hands of Merab Dvalishvili. The Dagestani bantamweight came up short on the judges' scorecards. Following the result, 'The Machine' became the first fighter in the UFC to defeat a Nurmagomedov.

Post-fight, Nurmagomedov made it known that he had broken his hand at the beginning of the bout. A day after the fight, the challenger issued a statement, post-loss, stating that he would "deal with the injuries and get back on track."

Umar wrote on Instagram assuring fans that:

“There are no excuses. InshaAllah, I will become the champion. The rest is not important. Praise Allah in any situation. And I don’t think I’ve lost this battle if even the whole world will convince me otherwise. Deal with the injuries and get back on track.”

Check out Umar Nurmagomedov's statement after losing to Merab Dvalishvili: