“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 his next fight. The champion is supposed to face Umar Nurmagomedov in his first title defense at UFC 311. ‘The Machine’ is confident that he will run through the Dagestani wall and embrace the sweet taste of victory.

Dvalishvili is currently on a roll in the division and is unbeaten in his last 11 fights. However, his next opponent might just be his toughest opponent which he faces to date. So what game plan should he have against the unbeaten Dagestani fighter? Former UFC fighter Luke Rockhold has the answer for you.

Merab Dvalishvili given valuable tips before his UFC 311 fight against ‘Young Eagle’

The journey to the UFC 311 co-main event fight has been filled with plenty of twists and uncertainty. For months, speculation swirled around whether this fight would actually take place. Despite boasting an unbeaten record of 18-0 and being seen as one of the most formidable contenders in the division, Nurmagomedov has faced challenges in locking down a title shot. Dvalishvili, with an 18-4 record, hasn’t held back in questioning Nurmagomedov’s credentials.

The Machine’ has been vocal about his belief that Nurmagomedov hasn’t done enough to earn the opportunity, adding fuel to the fire ahead of their anticipated showdown. However, with the fight now being official fans have started making predictions for the fight. Both fighters have impressive grappling skills and the fight will be decided on the ground. However, ‘Young Eagle’ does have a better striking which might give him an advantage in the fight. But according to Rockhold, it’s the wrestling that will create the difference in the highly exciting clash.

The 40-year-old in a recent episode of The Jaxxon Podcast pointed out what the champion needs to do in the fight. He said, “It’s just pressure, and control, and not losing position really. I mean it’s, I think, it’s ring control. His biggest asset is being able to put Umar in a bad spot, I would imagine, and then maintain control. Obviously, you have to put him in a bad spot and then you have to get him, because if you attack him in the open mat, you’re going to hit scrambles. And Umar is gonna counter he’s going to get on top to get to a better position.” 

Luke Rockhold, of course, is Umar Nurmagomedov’s teammate from American Kickboxing Academy. While the former middleweight champion dropped a hint about Dvalishvili’s possible strategy he can employ against ‘Young Eagle’, he didn’t want to go into details about Nurmagomedov’s strategy, honoring the loyalty he has towards his teammate and the San Jose-based gym.

Just like most of his fights, Dvalishvili is high on confidence walking into the fight. The Georgian fighter believes a lot in his skillset and has been performing at the highest level for a long time now. However, he doesn’t seem to be walking into the fight as a favorite against the unbeaten Dagestani fighter. UFC bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen feels Umar Nurmagomedov will cause a lot of trouble in his fight against ‘The Machine’.

Cory Sandhagen wants Umar Nurmagomedov to humble Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311

Cory Sandhagen knows, first-hand, how tough Umar Nurmagomedov is after sharing the Octagon with him. The two bantamweights squared off in August at UFC on ABC 7 in a closely contested bout, where Nurmagomedov secured a unanimous decision win. After going five hard rounds with the #2-ranked Dagestani, Sandhagen is convinced that Merab Dvalishvili, known as ‘The Machine,’ won’t be able to overcome Nurmagomedov’s skillset. Sandhagen’s experience with Nurmagomedov has left him certain that Dvalishvili faces an uphill battle against the rising contender.

In an interview with James Lynch from MiddleEasy, the #4-ranked bantamweight Cory Sandhagen revealed that he’s backing his former opponent, Umar Nurmagomedov, over Merab Dvalishvili. Sandhagen explained that his support stems from Dvalishvili openly talking trash about him, which has shifted his favor toward Nurmagomedov. 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.  I think that Umar probably will win,”

Can the undefeated ‘Young Eagle’ capture the title, or will the Georgian hand him his first loss? What do you think about all the buzz surrounding this matchup? Share your thoughts in the comments below!