Merab Dvalishvili leaks how he deceived California commission before UFC 311 despite staph infection and 27 stitches: "He never knew about the cut"

Merab Dvalishvili recently opened up about his fight against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 and revealed how he managed to get clearance from the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) despite having an infected injury on his leg that required 27 stitches.

Dvalishvili successfully defended the UFC bantamweight title against Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision after a five-round clash. After the fight, 'The Machine' revealed that he suffered a bad cut on his shin during training and had to face the possibility of not being cleared to compete at all. However, it appears Dvalishvili found a way.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Dvalishvili revealed how he gave the CSAC a slip and got cleared to fight at UFC 311. He said:

"I was worried the commission was not going to let me fight... California has a very strict commission… The commission guy asked me to show him my shin, so I lifted my left pant leg to show him my shin. He kept talking and then asked to show my other leg, so I showed him my left leg again, and then he never knew about the cut.”

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Merab Dvalishvili predicts Umar Nurmagomedov's UFC future

Merab Dvalishvili believes Umar Nurmagomedov could have a bright future in the UFC thanks to the experience he gained from their fight. 'The Machine' recently shared his take on Nurmagomedov's next moves as a "humbled" fighter and lauded his potential as a fighter.

In the same interview with Ariel Helwani, Dvalishvili shared his two cents on his last opponent's future and predicted another title shot for him, saying:

"[Nurmagomedov is] a good young fighter and I think he will be now in the top-5. And I'm sure he will continue winning streak and I am sure he will fight for the belt again. And he's young and I'm sure he's humbled now and he will continue good work."