“Thought it was a joke” - Merab Dvalishvili’s coach opens up on the short turnaround time to fight Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311

Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov will compete in the first UFC title fight of 2025 when the pair clash at UFC 311 on Jan. 18. Their bout will be contested for the bantamweight title, which Dvalishvili won after defeating Sean O'Malley at Noche UFC 306 in September.

After winning the belt, 'The Machine' was adamant that he would not face Nurmagomedov next, stating he did not deserve to fight for the title yet. This led to the Georgian being accused of avoiding a fight with 'Young Eagle'.

The accusations annoyed Dvalishvili immensely, who grew tired of being criticized for his lack of interest in facing the Dagestani. According to UFC CEO Dana White, the bantamweight champion barged into his office on Dec. 4 and demanded to face Nurmagomedov on January's pay-per-view card, a stunning turn of events.

Longtime coach of Dvalishvili, Ray Longo, recently discussed the short turnaround time between Noche UFC 306 and UFC 311. During an appearance on Jon Anik and Kenny Florian's podcast, Longo said this:

"I thought it was a joke when they announced [the fight]. I was out in [Las Vegas] with [Aljamain Sterling]... I thought it was insanity. It is what it is. Merab's gonna do what Merab's gonna do. No matter where he is, no matter how much of a camp he has. If the other guy wasn't training and they both started at the same time, Merab would be in better shape."

Check out Ray Longo's comments on Merab Dvalishvili fighting at UFC 311 below (34:45):

---

Merab Dvalishvili hopes to humble Umar Nurmagomedov

UFC 311 will feature two title fights, with Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan serving as the main event, while Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov will be the co-main event.

Tensions between the bantamweight pair are steadily increasing, with Dvalishvili having labeled his upcoming opponent as disrespectful. 'The Machine' was recently interviewed by UFC Espanol, where he shared his plans for fight night, saying this:

"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 on Umar Nurmagomedov below (20:55):