Merab Dvalishvili shares brutally honest prediction for Umar Nurmagomedov title fight at UFC 311: "I’m not looking to take him down"

Bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili is gearing up to defend his title against undefeated rising star Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 in Inglewood, California.

Known for his relentless grappling and unmatched cardio, Dvalishvili is looking ready to adapt his approach for this high-stakes matchup.

Speaking on the Believe You Me podcast with Michael Bisping, Dvalishvili shared his confidence in overcoming Nurmagomedov’s flawless record:

“I’m going to show Georgian wrestling and Georgian toughness. I’m going to break the guy. It’s going to be a great fight... As long as I’m healthy, I’m good, and I will be fine. It’s going to be a great fight... I’m excited to fight a good fighter like Umar. He’s undefeated, and I’m going to change his record.”

Despite his grappling expertise, Dvalishvili hinted at a striking-focused strategy to outmaneuver Nurmagomedov:

"I’m ready for striking. I’m not looking to take him down, control him, and lay on top like O’Malley. I’m going to punch his face, kick his legs, keep [the fight] on the feet, and I’m going to show a good fight. It’s going to be a great fight. A lot of scrapping, a lot of exchanges. I believe it’s going to be Fight of the Night or something.”

Check out Merab Dvalishvilli's interview below (1:26:35):

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Umar Nurmagomedov reveals injury before signing fight against Merab Dvalishvili

Umar Nurmagomedov recently revealed the extent of an arm injury he suffered late last year, which nearly derailed his plans to remain active in the UFC. Speaking with ESPN MMA and the official UFC YouTube channel, Nurmagomedov explained his determination to fight before Ramadan, despite warnings from his management.

The injury occurred in Dagestan during a training session when Nurmagomedov fractured his arm. Undeterred, Nurmagomedov continued running, shadow boxing, and grappling to maintain his fitness. After 20 days, his condition improved enough for him to call his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, and insist on returning to action.

Despite objections from his team, Nurmagomedov pushed for a fight, ultimately landing a high-stakes bout against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311:

“You know after that, after 20 days I go again even when I was broken, I was running. I want to still be in shape, you know. Even that time I try to run, try to do shadow boxing, try to be in shape. And after 20 days I go again, and it’s become much better."

He added:

“Even my punches and other things, I do grapple, I do wrestling class. Everything I can do. Then I called my manager Ali [Abdelaziz] and I said to him ‘hey, I want to fight’. He said ‘but we said we’re injured’ and I said ‘I told you, take this fight.'"

Check out Umar Nurmagomedov's comments below (5:40):