Since newly crowned bantamweight king Merab Dvalishvili became the division champion, the threat to his crown has continuously increased, particularly from the ranked #2 contender Umar Nurmagomedov, who has been very vocal about his demands, just like his fellow Dagestanians. However, Dvalishvili is not in the mood to jeopardize his title this soon, especially against someone like the undefeated “Young Eagle.” That’s why Nurmagomedov has been denied time and again in his claims for a title shot. Instead, Dvalishvili is leaning towards fighting the #5-ranked contender Deiveson Figueiredo, stating, “He’s a more dangerous guy. It excites me more.”

Since then, the rivalry between Nurmagomedov and Dvalishvili has reached a new level, with ‘Team Khabib’ also becoming part of the banter. Recently, this tension was reignited when Dvalishvili announced his intention to fight Sean O’Malley in a rematch, further stoking the flames of his ongoing conflict with ‘Young Eagle’.

Umar Nurmagomedov throws shade at Merab Dvalishvili

No one ever assumed that Sean O’Malley, after showcasing a “lackluster” performance in his second title defense, would blame the judges of UFC 306 for his title loss. A few days after the fight, O’Malley claimed he won the 1st, 3rd, and 5th rounds and urged fans, saying, “I know it’s hard to be non-biased, but rewatch that fight, turn the commentary off, and tell me.” In this crusade, Chael Sonnen backed O’Malley’s request, adding fuel to the controversy.

After so much back-and-forth with Sean O’Malley’s allegations, Merab Dvalishvili dramatically announced that he accepted O’Malley’s plea for a rematch, claiming, “If he wants it, he can have it.” This latest tweet from Dvalishvili also reached the ears of his rival, Umar Nurmagomedov, who, already frustrated about not getting a title shot, took to Twitter on the same thread as Dvalishvili, stating, “He’s ready to fight anyone except Umar Nurmagomedov.”

Umar Nurmagomedov’s anger toward Dvalishvili is justifiable, as he has successfully passed all the challenges presented to him by the UFC in such a short span of time. Despite this, he has been undermined by his opponents, which feels like a direct slap in the face regarding his latest achievement of moving from 10th to 2nd place. This hunger for victory came to light in Nurmagomedov’s recent interview.

Umar Nurmagomedov poised to defend contender status, sacrificing title opportunity

Dagestani sensation Umar Nurmagomedov is fully aware of the cost of waiting for a title shot. Recently, this issue became a matter of discussion when interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall wasted half a year pursuing a title unification against heavyweight king Jon Jones, who never responded to these intentions. Learning from others’ mistakes, Umar Nurmagomedov has closed the chapter on Merab Dvalishvili, at least for now, and set his sights on other strong bantamweight contenders.

This shift in focus was recently disclosed in a candid interview, where Nurmagomedov stated, “I don’t want to wait until next year—I want to fight anyone, even if it’s King Kong. Let them make weight, and we’ll fight. I really don’t care; I don’t want to wait for these guys. I have my own goal: I’m going to be the greatest, so I have to be active!”

What are your thoughts on Umar Nurmagomedov’s remarks? Do you believe Merab Dvalishvili deliberately ducks Nurmagomedov out of fear of his skills, or is there an alternative explanation? Drop your opinion below.