A thrilling bantamweight title fight is on the horizon as reigning champion Merab Dvalishvili prepares to defend his belt against rising contender Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. The Georgian, renowned for his relentless pace, ironclad cardio, and grinding pressure, faces a formidable challenge in Nurmagomedov, who remains undefeated and boasts a deep Sambo pedigree rooted in the storied fighting tradition of his family.

Former 155lbs god-king and Umar’s cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov will be closely monitoring the bout. Sharing his insights, ‘The Eagle’ acknowledged the formidable threat Dvalishvili poses and highlighted the champion’s exceptional skill set. Let’s see what he had to say!

Khabib Nurmagomedov weighs in on the strengths of Merab Dvalishvili

Merab Dvalishvili is on an impressive eleven-fight win streak, with his dominant wrestling overwhelming most of his opponents. His performance against former champion Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 showcased his wrestling mastery. However, his reign may face a significant challenge when he steps into the cage with Umar Nurmagomedov, who has yet to taste defeat in his MMA career.

‘Young Eagle’ is putting in the hard work under the watchful eyes of his cousin and Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov. Just like most of his camps, the former champion is leaving no stone unturned to bring out the best of his mentees. Amidst this, ‘The Eagle’ also has eyes on Umar’s opponent.

MMA media outlet Home of Fight recently shared a video on their Instagram page where Khabib shared his opinion on Dvalishvili as a fighter. He said, “Merab is like very good fighter. He have very good conditioning, he have very good pressure. He knows how to wrestle, he know how to punch and he can take punch. He have a heart, like he have a championship heart. But like striking game Umar kick much better in distance. Merab is a better freestyle wrestler and Merab is better than him on pressure. But for Umar, when we see like the way how he mix it up like mixed martial arts he is one of the best striker in the world.” 

The fight is evenly poised at the moment with very little to choose between the pair. ‘The Machine’ will be relentless with his pressure and will look to outclass the challenger. However, former middleweight champ Luke Rockhold doesn’t quite feel the same. According to him, it will be the challenger who will walk out as the champion at UFC 311.

Luke Rockhold backs Umar Nurmagomedov to win the 135lbs gold

It’s no secret that the rivalry between the Georgian powerhouse and his Caucasian counterpart is fierce. Tensions between the duo have reached a boiling point. Thanks in large part to a backstage confrontation during the UFC 311 pre-fight press conference. While fans can expect a wrestling showcase in the cage, Luke Rockhold predicts that Umar will walk out as the victor.

During an appearance on the JAXXON podcast, Rockhold shared his thoughts on Dvalishvili’s upcoming fight with Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. He said, “He can outstrike him, and then Merab can shoot in. Umar can counter him and get to his back. I’m telling you, he [Umar] is better. Merab might have the wrestling advantage in some way, shape, or form, but think about the cost of a tough matchup for Umar. When you start looking at it, Umar is going to outstrike Merab. Then Merab will get frustrated. I don’t see that fight going any other way.”

Both fighters have been giving their all, with one aiming to claim the title and the other to defend it. That said, what are your thoughts on this upcoming showdown? Share your predictions in the comments below.