Merab Dvalishvili claps back at Islam Makhachev, explains why Dagestanis shouldn’t be considered Russian: "They have to represent Russia"

As the new UFC bantamweight champion, Merab Dvalishvili is widely expected to defend his belt against Umar Nurmagomedov. Dvalishvili has named Deiveson Figueiredo as his preferred next opponent, but that has not stopped him from sparking an odd feud with Nurmagomedov.

With Nurmagomedov hailing from Dagestan, Dvalishvili previously said that the 28-year-old should not count as a Russian fighter due to his belief that Dagestan is a separate entity. Nurmagomedov's teammate Islam Makhachev clapped back at Dvalishvili, prompting 'The Machine' to respond.

On the Fight Back with Jake Shields podcast hosted by the former UFC welterweight title challenger, Dvalishvili said:

"[Dagestan and Chechnya] are all small countries... But now, somehow, Russia took over those countries and they have to represent Russia... So I said no, Umar is not from Russia, he's from Dagestan... But Islam said, 'No, we are part of Russia,' so I understand."

Regardless of his opinion, Dvalishvili noted that he understands the views of Makhachev and Nurmagomedov.

After beating Sean O'Malley in the Noche UFC 306 main event, Joe Rogan asked Dvalishvili for his thoughts on Nurmagomedov as his potential next opponent but had his question indirectly dismissed by the fighter.

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Is Merab Dvalishvili Russian?

Although he was critical of Umar Nurmagomedov's geographical background, Merab Dvalishvili is not a Russian himself despite being born within the borders of the Soviet Union.

Dvalishvili further explained to Jake Shields that as a native of Georgia, his home country was previously a part of the Soviet Union before the nation's collapse. The country of Georgia, however, is currently an individual state, whereas the Republic of Dagestan is a republic of Russia.

The 33-year-old currently holds dual citizenship after becoming a United States citizen in March.

'The Machine' has been living in the United States since 2012 when he moved to America to pursue a career in mixed martial arts. He originally settled in New York and began training with the Serra-Longo Fight Team but now primarily resides in Las Vegas.

Dvalishvili still trains with Matt Serra and Ray Longo in New York but now bases his training with John Wood and the Syndicate MMA team.

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