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Umar Nurmagomedov believes Merab Dvalishvili is "looking for excuses" to avoid fighting him.
At UFC 306, Dvalishvili dominated Sean O'Malley for the majority of their five-round matchup to become the new bantamweight champion. The Georgian-born grappler didn't have much time to celebrate before fans started talking about his next fight, as a top contender waits for his life-changing opportunity.
Number two-ranked Umar Nurmagomedov holds a 6-0 UFC record, including an impressive unanimous decision win against Cory Sandhagen last time out. The undefeated cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov has long been considered a potential world champion, and it's only a matter of time until his title shot.
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Over the last few weeks, Nurmagomedov has accused Dvalishvili of avoiding a fight between them. Earlier today, the top-ranked contender called out the UFC bantamweight king on Twitter by saying this:
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"Hey Merab you know that Ramadan is in March and knowing this you insist on March, in February the tournament will be held in Australia and they won't put us there. There is a tournament in Los Angeles in January - let's fight there, and there is enough time to prepare. Stop looking for excuses. Give the people what they want, everyone who follows our weight - wants to see this fight."
Umar Nurmagomedov referred to Merab Dvalishvili's recent comments about them potentially fighting in February or March. Dvalishvili also acknowledged Nurmagomedov's need to fight before Ramadan, making the matchup likely targeted for January or February 2025.
Does Merab Dvalishvili have any other potential opponents besides Umar Nurmagomedov?
Umar Nurmagomedov believes Merab Dvalishvili could be more interested in fighting a different bantamweight contender for his first title defense. The reality is that Nurmagomedov is the only logical choice to face Dvalishvili.
Sean O'Malley might not receive an immediate rematch for two reasons. Firstly, he only had one title defense against Marlon 'Chito' Vera, meaning he wasn't a long-reigning champion who deserves the opportunity. Secondly, Dvalishvili defeated O'Malley decisively without any controversy.
As for the rest of the division, number three-ranked Petr Yan will fight number five-ranked Deiveson Figueiredo on November 23. Meanwhile, number four-ranked Cory Sandhagen is coming off a loss. Therefore, Nurmagomedov deserves the next title shot against Dvalishvili.
