"Evil plot" - Laura Sanko shares eye-opening take on why Merab Dvalishvili feels "irritated" about fighting Umar Nurmagomedov

It is no secret that Merab Dvalishvili feels slighted by his upcoming bantamweight title defense against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. Ex-fighter and commentator Laura Sanko believes she knows why, sharing her thoughts on the matter with fellow fighter-turned-analyst Din Thomas on One on One | MMA.

As Sanko says it, Dvalishvili is offended for various reasons. Among the reasons Dvalishvili is unhappy with fighting Nurmagomedov is the lack of recovery and preparation time. He fought on Sep. 14, 2024 at Noche UFC 306, and is making a fairly quick turnaround at UFC 311.

With injury reports afoot, it is likely that being pushed into a bout after being afforded little time to recover and prepare. The development has irked the Georgian star and his team in a manner similar to Aljamain Sterling when he faced Sean O'Malley at UFC 292.

"Ray Longo, who I realize is not officially his head coach, or overly involved at this point, but they obviously have a close relationship and still I think he sees him as a coach and mentor, Ray didn't love this happening as quick as it did. And I think, to be honest with you, that that might be part of why Merab has been so fiery and so irritated about this whole situation."

However, Sanko was careful to clarify that she was not accusing the UFC of any nefarious doing regarding Dvalishvili.

"It's not like some evil plot against Merab in some way. I'm not trying to insinuate that, but I do think that he would have loved a little bit more time [to prepare]."

Check out Laura Sanko speculating about Merab Dvalishvili's irritability (1:30 and 3:09):

Ahead of their fight, Dvalishvili has made various unflattering remarks about Nurmagomedov, who has kept his cool in the face of his rival's frequent rants. With their fight just hours away, both men will be determined to silence the other and put this saga to bed.

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Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov nearly came to blows a month ago

Merab Dvalishvili's animosity toward Umar Nurmagomedov is well-documented. During fight week for UFC 310, the promotion hosted a press conference to generate hype for UFC 311. It was a heated affair, and after its conclusion, both Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov found themselves in a backstage confrontation.

Check out Merab Dvalishvili confronting Umar Nurmagomedov:

With tempers flaring, security was quick to keep both men separate while they jawed at each other. Fortunately, the situation never turned physical, but it served as evidence of just how heated the pair's feud was and still is.