Merab Dvalishvili faces merciless trolling as Umar Nurmagomedov gives classy reaction to slap threat: "Crybaby," "Gaslighting diva" 

Tensions are boiling ahead of the bantamweight title fight at UFC 311 on Jan. 18, as reigning champion Merab Dvalishvili faced criticism for his comments about challenger Umar Nurmagomedov.

The Georgian champion, who captured the title by defeating Sean O'Malley at UFC 306, has repeatedly stated that Nurmagomedov does not deserve the title shot, escalating tensions between the fighters.

Dvalishvili’s comments led Nurmagomedov to accuse him of avoiding the matchup. In response, the champion issued a fiery warning, threatening to slap his opponent if he didn’t apologize for the “disrespectful” remarks.

When informed of the threat during an interview, Nurmagomedov maintained his composure, responding with a measured and impactful statement:

"We're gonna see how he's gonna do it. You know, you own your words before you say them. After that, your words own you. What you say, that owns you. We're gonna see how he's gonna do this."

Fans quickly took to social media to criticize Dvalishvili’s approach:

“Merab is just a crybaby.”

“Merab the gaslighting diva!”

Others praised Nurmagomedov for his poise, with one comment standing out:

“You honour your words before you say it, after that your words honour you” - DAYUMMMM THATS A COLD LINE “

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fans react after Umar Nurmagomedov's latest response to Merab Dvalishvili [Screenshot courtesy @redcorner.mma via Instagram]

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Merab Dvalishvili reveals motivation behind fighting Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311

Merab Dvalishvili is fired up ahead of his UFC 311 showdown against Umar Nurmagomedov, citing disrespectful comments from his undefeated opponent as fuel for their clash.

The bantamweight champion has accused Nurmagomedov of being overly confident and dismissive of his competitors, including Dvalishvili. In an interview with UFC Español, Dvalishvili shared his motivation to hand Nurmagomedov his first loss:

"Fight day, I will do my best to beat this undefeated guy. Make him humble, because I feel he's just cocky. He's never been defeated before, he's acting like no one wants to fight with him and [that] he's something untouchable. I'll show him the real level. I met him a couple of months ago, maybe a year ago. I had a very friendly conversation with him. I was very respectful, and he told me, 'You are old. It's now my time. You've got to go.' I'm like, 'Bro what are you talking about?'"

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments about Umar Nurmagomedov below (20:55):