"Don’t have a cousin who has a big gym like Khabib” - Merab Dvalishvili goes off on Umar Nurmagomedov for questioning his Georgian allegiance

Merab Dvalishvili has fired back at his upcoming opponent, Umar Nurmagomedov, for criticizing the bantamweight champion for not training in his home country of Georgia. The pair are set to clash at UFC 311 on Jan. 18, and ahead of the bout, they have shared some heated words.

At the final press conference before fight night, Nurmagomedov questioned Dvalishvili's love for Georgia by pointing out that 'The Machine' lived and trained in America.

The 34-year-old took aim at 'Young Eagle' after making the 135-pound weight limit and said this:

"Yesterday he was saying, 'If you're from Georgia why are you in America?' God bless America! I came here for work, and I'm working hard and I'm grateful for America. I pay taxes, God bless America. I'm a good citizen and I love living here."

He continued:

"Umar, he doesn't give a s**t. He comes here, stays for free at his manager's house and then goes to Dagestan, training is free [at] his cousin's gym. Unfortunately I don't have a cousin who has a big gym like Khabib has in Dagestan. I love training here in the U.S. and getting better. There are more opportunities here."

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments below:

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Umar Nurmagomedov is fighting for the title because of Khabib, says Merab Dvalishvili

UFC 311 will feature a bantamweight title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event. 'Young Eagle' secured his shot following a victory over Cory Sandhagen at UFC Abu Dhabi, an official title eliminator bout.

However, Dvalishvili was adamant that Nurmagomedov did not deserve a title shot. 'The Machine' named several contenders as more deserving than the Dagestani fighter, which only served as motivation for 'Young Eagle' to accuse Dvalishvili of being afraid to fight him.

During a recent interview with Brian Campbell, the bantamweight champion once again went off on Nurmagomedov's title contendership. The Georgian claimed that the reason why the 29-year-old was granted a title shot was because of his cousin, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

He said this:

"I always said if the UFC wants [me to fight Umar], of course I'll fight him. But he has to fight more... There are so many good fighters. How about [Mario] Bautista? He has a seven-fight winning streak. Nobody cares. He deserves [the title shot] more, but I guess he doesn't have a cousin like Khabib."

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments below (2:40):