UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov has long taken pride in representing Dagestan and highlighting its dominance in combat sports. Earlier this month, he stirred controversy with a bold statement, directly challenging fighters from Ireland and other nations by proclaiming, “We dominate amateur MMA, and it’s not even close—not just compared to Irish fighters, but the whole world.” The comment drew widespread criticism from fighters across the globe, but ‘The Eagle’ remained steadfast and unfazed in his belief.

However, yesterday at UFC 311 in Inglewood, California, Team Khabib suffered a major blow. In the co-main event, UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili handed Khabib’s cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov, the first career loss in a hard-fought five-round battle. Despite ‘Young Eagle’ starting strong, his cardio began to fade after the second round, giving the Georgian native the opportunity to take control and dominate the Dagestani prospect in the fight’s later stages.

This defeat marked a major setback for the Nurmagomedov camp. The most crushing moment for Khabib Nurmagomedov came as he watched Umar’s loss, breaking the undefeated streak of the Nurmagomedov trio—Khabib, ‘Young Eagle,’ and Usman. With a previously combined record of 65-0, the trio had been a symbol of Dagestani dominance. Still, they now face their first official loss, signaling the end of an era and tarnishing their once-immaculate legacy.

Adding insult to injury, a viral clip from the event quickly gained traction on social media. An Instagram account posted a video showing Khabib attempting to take the championship belt from UFC CEO Dana White just moments before the winner was announced, with the caption: “Khabib wanted to steal.”

Convinced that ‘Young Eagle’ had won, Khabib Nurmagomedov reached for the belt to wrap it around his cousin, only for Dana White to stop him and proceed to award the belt to Merab Dvalishvili. The clip has since gone viral, sparking widespread ridicule and prompting fans to poke fun at ‘The Eagle’ and his team. Umar Nurmagomedov’s loss and the viral video changed Team Khabib’s expected triumphant night into a humbling experience.

Fans react to “poor” Khabib’s reaction to Umar Nurmagomedov’s loss at UFC 311

To back up his cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov’s stance in the ongoing ‘Dagestan vs Ireland’ verbal sparring, Umar Nurmagomedov’s brother, Usman, boldly predicted earlier this month that his brother would defeat Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311. Usman declared, “Soon, in the UFC, ‘Young Eagle’ will be the second [to become champion],” following in the footsteps of Islam Makhachev.

However, Merab Dvalishvili’s performance dismantled every assumption about the Dagestani’s dominance. One fan pointed out, commenting, “Poor Khabib can’t handle the fact that one of his fighters lost,” while another suggested Team Khabib might have hoped for a biased, unfair result from the judges, writing, “They were hoping for a robbery.”

In response, another fan reminded them, “This ain’t Abu Dhabi,” referencing accusations that have surfaced in the past about Middle Eastern crowds allegedly favoring fighters based on religion. However, these claims have never been proven; the mental warfare surrounding crowd support for religiously aligned fighters often plays a more significant role. A fan echoed a similar sentiment, “They’re so used to the Dagestani privilege, but Dana said NOT TODAY!”

A fan also reminded Khabib Nurmagomedov of his own controversial fight against Gleison Tibau in 2012, when ‘The Eagle’ was awarded the win, where many media outlets and analysts called the decision a “robbery’. The fan commented, “Khabib was praying for the Gleison Tibau event to reoccur.” Meanwhile, other fans mocked the MMA legend with similar remarks, one saying, “Hey Dana, gimme that, let me see it.” referring to the UFC belt.

Another fan referenced Islam Makhachev’s words during an interview with UFC veteran Daniel Cormier, where Makhachev had suggested that Cormier send his son to Dagestan to become the best MMA fighter. A fan took a jab at Team Khabib, commenting, “Send Umar to Georgia for 2-3 years and forget,” referring to Merab Dvalishvili’s home country.

How do you feel about the judges’ scorecards for the Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Merab Dvalishvili bantamweight fight at UFC 311? Do you believe ‘The Machine’ was the clear winner, or do you think there was a “robbery” in the scoring? ‘Young Eagle’ claims he won three out of the five rounds in their co-main event fight. We’d love to hear your thoughts below.