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Merab Dvalishvili has improved his reputation from being the dark horse of the UFC bantamweight division to now being recognized as a top contender in the division. He's knocking on the door of the title shot and his most recent victory over former 135-pound champion Petr Yan only further solidified his stake as one of the best bantamweight fighters on the planet.
Fellow top-ranked contender Cory Sandhagen recently called out Dvalishvili following his emphatic victory over Marlon Vera at UFC San Antonio. Undefeated bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov also wants a crack at testing himself against 'The Machine'. The way he sees it, the white papakha vs. black papakha clash could be an interesting and pivotal bout in the talent-stacked division.
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According to a representative from 'Young Eagle's team, Merab Dvalishvili has declined the UFC's offer to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov's cousin on May 13. MMA journalist Aaron Bronsteter reported that Dvalishvili has declined the bout owing to a lingering injury and the UFC is looking forward to booking the fight in July instead.
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"Per a Dominance MMA representative, the UFC offered Umar Nurmagomedov a May 13 main event bout against Merab Dvalishvili, who declined due to injury. They added that the UFC are now looking to book the fight sometime in July."
Merab Dvalishvili's manager Oren Hodak shed light on the potential clash stating:
"Merab just fought and he fought injured. Nothing to talk about until the May 6 [bantamweight] title fight happens anyhow."
Hodak added that Dvalishvili would like to face Cory Sandhagen instead. He added:
"Merab is interested in tasting that Sandhagen sandwich that was on the menu and comes at a much more high profile extra value meal compared to a guy not even in the top 10."
Check out the report below:
Merab Dvalishvili next fight: Umar Nurmagomedov urges UFC to reschedule a potential clash against the Georgian
Ever since making his UFC debut, Umar Nurmagomedov has taken the bantamweight division by storm. He has announced himself as a viable contender with four straight victories (16-0 overall) and wants to test himself against the best in the division.
Umar Nurmagomedov has set his sights on a potential clash against No.1 ranked bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili and according to reports, the UFC has already offered the fight to the Georgian.
While 'Young Eagle' understands that Dvalishvili will take some time to recover from the injury, he urged the UFC to reschedule the clash in June or July:
"UFC @danawhite offer me main event, May 13 I accept against Merab he have injury I wish him a speedy recovery, but I’m waiting to share the cage with him June or July."
Check out the tweet below:
