“That fight, I think it’s easy for me. That fight is no problem for me. I will dominate him,” said Merab Dvalishvili going into next year where is supposed to face Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. ‘The Machine’ is confident that he will run through the Dagestani wall and embrace the sweet taste of victory. But how much support is the current champion fetching in his first title defense? Well, UFC bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen has come forward to support his former opponent, Umar Nurmagomedov in his fight against ‘Machine.

While having a conversation with James Lynch via MiddleEasy, the #4-ranked bantamweight Cory Sandhagen said he now supports his former opponent, Umar Nurmagomedov rather than Merab Dvalishvili, who has blatantly talked “sh-t” about him. He said, “Just because Merab’s been talking a lot of sh-t, I kind of want to watch Merab get served up a little bit by a guy who is supposed to be a wrestler but wasn’t able to wrestle me. But Merab’s still saying that I was a gift and stuff.”

He further added, “So, I’m on Team Umar now. I used to be nice to Merab, I used to be nice to Merab that’s why I was hurt so bad when he started talking so much sh-t. But like I said, in this sport you push people down, you don’t lift them up. And that’s the way the sport, kind of, operates. So, I don’t take it personally, but I do, Merab!”. Of course, Sanghagen was being a little tongue-in-cheek with that last statement there. Prior to expressing this viewpoint and picking Umar Nurmagomedov, Cory Sandhagen emphasized that he believes that the Dagestani has have what it takes to defeat Merab Dvalishvili, “I think that Umar probably will win,” said ‘The Sandman’

He continued by saying, “I just can’t really see a path for Merab to win, I don’t think that he’s going to be able to strike with him, but I also don’t think that he’ll be able to take him down and control him like he was able to do against O’Malley and against other guys. I just don’t really see a path to success for Merab, I think Umar is likely going to defend a lot of those shots, keep it in the striking realm, and just kind of – Umar’s a sniper, man.”

Cory Sandhagen, having fought Umar Nurmagomedov, understands the caliber of the Dagestani fighter. Both the bantamweights faced off in August on UFC on ABC 7 and fought in a close contest, where ‘Young Eagle’ won a unanimous decision victory. Having fought five hard rounds against the #2-ranked Nurmagomedov, he firmly believes that ‘The Machine’ stands no chance of breaching the Dagestani wall. Adding to the tough critique from Sandhagen, Merab Dvalishvili also received an earful from Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Merab Dvalishvili has changed after winning the title

There have been instances where Merab Dvalishvili has been very confrontational with fans, especially with the UFC 310 debacle being a prime example. Another instance was when Dvalishvili seemingly lost his temper when he was asked about Umar Nurmagomedov being next in line for the title, during a UFC 308 media day exchange with a fan. “Where is this guy [Umar]? He’s scared, he’s fighting somebody else. Where is he? He’s going to get knocked out [by] somebody else, then he’s going to make excuses. He’s not going to make this fight, okay?”. Ironically, it was Dvalishvili who seemed to be dodging the Dagestani bantamweight, while hurling accusations of ‘Young Eagle’ ducking him.

In addition to that, ‘The Machine’ and Team Khabib have been on terrible terms since he won the bantamweight title from Sean O’Malley. Looking at all of these antics, Khabib Nurmagomedov has come forward to ascertain that the current champion may not be in a position to handle the fame that comes with the championship.

While speaking to ‘Red Corner’, Khabib Nurmagomedov stated, “I think when he began his career, he was acting good. When he became champion, he cannot deal with this,” Nurmagomedov said of Dvalishvili. “Because life changes. Before champion and after champion, there are two lives. You have to deal with it. I think Umar deserves it. I don’t know why Merab is nervous. Umar’s here not because he is my cousin. He’s here because he’s 18-0 and 6-0 in the UFC. Umar wants to create his legacy. January 18, he will show why Merab is nervous.”

Merab Dvalishvili will be putting his belt on the line, but Khabib Nurmagomedov is sure that Umar will take it from him. Will the undefeated ‘Young Eagle’ finally become a champion or will the Georgian take his zero away from him? What are your thoughts on the hubbub? Let us know in the comments down below.