Umar Nurmagomedov is set to square off against Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title at UFC 311 on Jan. 18. However, Nurmagomedov appears to have sustained an injury ahead of the bout, which resulted in UFC Hall of Famer's reaction.
In a recent interview with Brett Okamoto, the 30-year-old revealed the details of his arm injury. He said:
"After I was in Dagestan. I punched with my arm. I went to the doctor and I showed them, they checked the bone. I got an X-ray and they said it was broken. After that, after 20 days I went again. Even when it was broken I was running. I wanted to stay in shape, I tried to do shadowboxing, try to be in shape and after 20 days I go again and it's become much better. Even my punches, other things: I can grapple, do wrestling classes. I can do everything."
UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen expressed his thoughts on the interview and said:
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“So Umar who's about to fight for a world championship in a co-main spot representing the first family that might have a claim to First Family of the sport over Gracie, they're not there, Gracie is still the first family, but the Nurmagomedov are hot on that trail and he says he's got a broken arm you cannot fight with a broken arm, wouldn't matter how tough you are, they cannot put damaged goods in an unarmed fight”
Check out Chael Sonnen's comments below (03:04):
Umar Nurmagomedov left shocked at Merab Dvalishvili's 'disrespectful' claims
In the aforementioned interview with Brett Okamoto, Umar Nurmagomedov revealed that he was shocked that Merab Dvalishvili finds him disrespectful. The Russian acknowledged that he had talked trash about the champion in order to get a title shot, but was never disrespectful to Dvalishvili.
'The Young Eagle' believes that the Georgian was trying to avoid him and get a favorable match-up against the likes of Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen. Nurmagomedov said:
"We two opponents, you know, like it's little bit emotional, you know? I don't think he's an angry person, I don't think he's a bad person. I don't know why he talking about.. I really don't know why he talking about disrespect. Of course, I tweet, I talking, but I didn't talk, 'You the liar,' or I didn't say really like, 'You're a bad person' or something like that. I talk about fight. I say, 'Hey, Merab. You try to avoid me. You doesn't mention my name. It looks insane.'"
He added:
"Everybody talks about that. Just not like me, and when the UFC push him to fight, okay Joe Rogan asked him after his fight when he won belt, Joe Rogan said, 'Next opponent is Umar. What do you think about that?' And he doesn't said nothing. He just said, 'Thank you, Dana White.' And it's not of all hype about he ducking, he try to avoid, it's not because I do this. He do this. It's his mistake."
Check out Umar Nurmagomedov's comments below (01:52):