When Merab Dvalishvili stepped into UFC 311, he had one goal in mind. Crack the dominance code and be the first man to hand his Dagestani opponent his first loss. “Khabib (Nurmagomedov) never lost before. I will be the first who gives him loss,” the champ confidently proclaimed before the fight, taking a swipe at Umar and his coach-cousin-mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov, both of whom were undefeated in their careers at the time. And when the dust settled, he had kept his word. He handed Umar Nurmagomedov his first L. However, the fight was not one-sided at all. Interestingly, even before the fight happened, one coach had an important take on it.

UFC staff writer E. Spencer Kyte and New England Cartel head coach Tyson Chartier sat down to discuss the fight ahead of the UFC 311. On being asked the strong point of each fighter, Chartier told, “Merab is known for his cardio and his ability to just have better cardio than anybody he fights, and that’s what he leads with, behind his wrestling. It’s the wrestling and the cardio that is behind it, and it’s something that a lot of people haven’t been able to overcome.” Whereas for Umar, he said, “He’s obviously got great wrestling, great striking, he’s a strong guy, super-technical, but I think if anything, I think it goes beyond that.” And Umar indeed got stuck at this very point.

For two rounds, the “spoiled little baby” as Dvalishvili had once dubbed Nurmagomedov, looked every bit like the undefeated prospect he was hyped up to be. His striking was crisp, his movement fluid, and he shut down Dvalishvili’s takedown attempts with ease. But then, something shifted. ‘The Machine’ did what he always does, turned up the pace.

He made it an exhausting grind. And by rounds four and five, it was clear that the champ had outlasted ‘ Young Eagle’. The scorecards read 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 in favor of Dvalishvili, who proved, once again, why he’s one of the most relentless fighters in the game. However, quite astonishingly, if the fight had been anything but five rounds, it seems like the “old man” might have been the one leaving with a bruised ego instead.

Reflecting on his hard-fought victory, Dvalishvili had an eye-opening moment. “I just realized like, a five-round fight is better for me, you know,” he admitted while speaking to Jamahal Hill. “If my title fight was three rounds, I guess I was gonna lose because they gave him the first two rounds, to Umar.” Umar Nurmagomedov, however, wasn’t entirely convinced.

“I don’t think I lost this fight,” he told Joe Rogan post-fight. “I need to watch this video of my fight.” To his credit, he fought through adversity, dealing with a broken hand from the opening round. But hey, injuries happen. Just ask the reigning champ, who, as it turns out, was nursing a leg infection and a pinched nerve in his back. No excuses, right? While fans and pundits debated the result, the camps of both fighters had their own takes, which somehow coincided with the same message.

Did Umar Nurmagomedov really have a chance if not for the injury?

It’s a tale as old as time in combat sport. Fighters pointing to injuries after a loss. But was the current #3 contender’s claim justified? Would the fight have played out differently if his hand had held up? Dvalishvili’s coach, John Wood, didn’t mince words. “If anything, the only thing I’d say is it was maybe easier than expected, and that’s not being disrespectful, it’s how good Merab is.” And as for Nurmagomedov’s broken hand? Wood wasn’t buying it as an excuse. “I don’t think a broken hand affects your cardio from the last I checked. Your hand and your lungs aren’t connected.” Basically he meant to say, you gassed out kid.

Meanwhile, the Dagestani protege, Islam Makhachev, came to his fellow mate’s defense. “Umar needs a full camp,” the lightweight kingpin explained. “He came to us in the USA when he found out he had a title fight, he was already dealing with a hand injury.” Then why did the camp let him fight? “He just didn’t want to miss his title shot.”

A fair point? Maybe. But it’s funny how this wasn’t a concern before the fight. When asked if he felt the title shot came too early, Umar had no doubts about his worthiness. After all, he was undefeated and riding a win streak. If Aljamain Sterling could get a title shot with a shorter streak, why not him? Confidence was sky-high when gold was on the line, but once the fight was over, suddenly, the timing didn’t seem so perfect after all. Yet, when the final bell rang, the conversation had shifted. Dvalishvili also had a whirlwind camp, battling injuries, dealing with infections, and still showing up in peak form. In the end, the “old man” did what he set out to do, humble the “spoiled baby,” but with all due respect.

Despite the loss, Nurmagomedov’s stock didn’t drop. The UFC recognized the war he put up, awarding both fighters the Fight of the Night bonus. And given his performance, it’s not a stretch to think he’ll get another shot down the line. For the Georgian, though, the road ahead likely leads to a rematch with the #1 contender, Sean O’Malley, who sat cage-side watching it all unfold. And let’s face it, ‘Suga’ probably took some notes. Will The Machine’s cardio break him the way it did the former undefeated bantamweight? Or will we see a different result? What do you think? Was breaking the Dagestani’s dominance the start of something even bigger? Let us know in the comments below!