"Fight might be canceled" - Fans genuinely concerned about "staph infection"-looking bruise on Merab Dvalishvili's leg in pre-UFC 311 photos

Merab Dvalishvili’s right leg appeared visibly compromised in a recent promotional shoot ahead of his first title defense. 'The Machine' is set to put his bantamweight title on the line against the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event of UFC 311, this Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

Earlier this week, the UFC released a series of pre-fight promotional photos featuring Dvalishvili, revealing what appeared to be visible bruising or a laceration on the 34-year-old Georgian’s right shin.

The images quickly raised concerns among fans on social media, with many speculating that Dvalishvili might be battling a staph infection, which could jeopardize his fight at UFC 311. However, the mark on the 135-pound champion’s leg is actually a result of a severe cut he sustained during training camp.

One fan wrote:

"That’s not an injury that’s a staph infection."

Another wrote:

"Fight might be canceled."

Another commented:

"Already with the built-in excuses."

Check out some more reactions below:

Comments from @Combat_Casuals on X.

'The Machine' secured the bantamweight title with a lopsided victory over Sean O'Malley at UFC 306 in September 2024. Dvalishvili is riding an impressive 11-fight win streak, which features decisive triumphs over former champions such as Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, and Jose Aldo.

---

Merab Dvalishvili reassures fans that training camp injury won’t impact his UFC 311 performance

During the UFC 311 media day, Merab Dvalishvili confirmed that he sustained an injury nearly a month ago while training before his fight with Umar Nurmagomedov was officially scheduled.

However, 'The Machine' minimized the seriousness of the injury, assuring that it would not affect his performance at UFC 311:

"I was in Vegas because Aljo [Aljamain Sterling] was fighting Movsar Evloev and training, and I was always dealing with some injuries. But once I hear the UFC needs me, I stepped up and Dana [White] said yes."

He further added:

"[My injury won’t affect] the fight; it was affecting my training. I will post it after the fight, but training was difficult because of this injury. But I’m good. I’m ready now. It’s all good."

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments below (0:28):