Did Umar Nurmagomedov Disrespect Merab Dvalishvili’s Georgia?

UFC 311, is just around the corner and it’s going to be a full package of rivalries, drama, and action-packed fights inside the Octagon. All signs point to the bantamweight title fight between current champion Merab Dvalishvili and the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov stealing the show.

If this already does not get you excited, then wait for it, because their genuine rivalry and animosity outside the Octagon just increased a notch. According to the Georgian, the ‘Young Eagle’ from Team Khabib made this fight more personal than it needed to be. But how? Let’s find out.

What did Umar Nurmagomedov say about Georgia? 

For ‘The Machine’, this fight is not just to defend his belt but also to protect the honor of his country Georgia. How did this Octagon fight lead to such personal levels? Well, according to Dvalishvili,  Nurmagomedov has been disrespecting his country on social media. Taking to his Instagram, the bantamweight champion uploaded a video with the caption, “Facts Speak!” which showed a series of X posts by Nurmagomedov. 

 The title challenger decided to post a Georgian proverb on his X-profile. He explained the same to people who did not know as well. “A coward will always find an excuse for his retreat.” – Georgian proverb”, He wrote. Umar then included a long explanation for those who did not understand and clearly, this insinuated the bantamweight champion.

“Explaining for dummies: using your name to talk about yourself is just a way to grab attention or make what you say stand out. That’s it, nothing complicated,” he said. This is the reason that Dvalishvili took it to another personal level saying that he would take the fight outside the Octagon.

Merab Dvalishvili and Dagestani go back and forth 

It was during an interview with Ariel Helwani that the Georgian declared he would slap Nurmagomedov. Yes, you read that right. Merab Dvalishvili threatened to slap Umar. According to MMA Uncensored Dvalishvili said to Helwani, “He might get slapped after the fight. Fighting in the Octagon isn’t a real fight it’s a sport. If Umar does not apologize to me, it’s going to happen.”

Hold on because there is more to this tale. After Umar posted the proverb, Dvalishvili got into a brawl with a Dagestani fan. Naturally, the video of the altercation was uploaded on social media and the Georgian was seen leaving the T-Mobile Arena during the brawl. Guess what? Umar Nurmagomedov and his team uploaded pictures online with the same fan.

During UFC 311 media day, the bantamweight champion addressed how he felt about his opponent’s disrespect. “He mentioned my country, and he still continued to disrespect me. This is not right, especially from him because I know him, “ he started. He also said that when they met, he would always show his respect to the Dagestani, so to be disrespected in return was not acceptable by ‘The Machine.’

Do you think he will take revenge inside the Octagon for this? Or it will escalate and the fight might spill out outside the cage. Share your thoughts in the comments below.