Umar Nurmagomedov issues unfiltered response to Merab Dvalishvili accusing him of disrespectful behavior ahead of UFC 311 fight: "It's his acts"

Umar Nurmagomedov recently addressed Merab Dvalishvili's allegation of disrespect ahead of their upcoming title bout. 'The Young Eagle' is set to challenge the reigning bantamweight champion in the co-main event of UFC 311, slated for Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

The lead-up to this fight has been marked by intense animosity between the two fighters, fueled by Nurmagomedov’s outspoken campaign for a title shot. While 'The Machine' initially showed reluctance to accept the challenge, he accused the undefeated Dagestani of disrespecting him by labeling him a coward and ultimately agreed to the bout with the intent to make him pay.

During a recent appearance on MMA on SiriusXM, Nurmagomedov responded to Dvalishvili’s accusations, stating that he understood if the Georgian felt slighted regarding his champion status.

However, 'The Young Eagle' turned the tables, claiming it was Dvalishvili who had shown disrespect by suggesting that Deiveson Figueiredo was more deserving of a title shot than him:

"If he's talking about what I said—how he tried to avoid and he tried to act cowardly and not act like a champion—maybe he makes sense. Maybe for him, it's disrespectful, but it's not about me; it's about his acts. He talked about Figueiredo, that Figueiredo deserved more, and Umar Nurmagomedov did not deserve [the title shot]."

Check out Umar Nurmagomedov's comments below:

Nurmagomedov is riding an impressive six-fight unbeaten streak in the octagon and is fresh off a dominant unanimous decision victory over Cory Sandhagen at UFC Abu Dhabi in August 2024.

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Merab Dvalishvili pledges to "humble" Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311

During a recent interview with the UFC, Umar Nurmagomedov stated that while Merab Dvalishvili isn't intimidated by anyone, he accused him of selectively choosing low-risk opponents in order to protect his record and secure easy paydays:

"I think he just wants to fight with a guy who [he] can beat. It does not mean I 100 percent go inside the cage and smash him. No. He knows other guys; he will beat [them]. Me? It’s going to be hard. That’s why he tried to be a champion for a long time. He wants to fight with O’Malley or with Petr Yan or someone else because he knows these guys, easy money. Me? Not."

Nurmagomedov added:

"What I know, what I understand, he does not [want a] risky fight. He can beat me; it can happen. It’s not going to break me. I will be the same, Umar. Fighting is fighting. Everybody can lose, everybody can win."

Check out Umar Nurmagomedov's comments below (3:10):