“Umar is a good fighter. It’s a big challenge, but he don’t earn it like the rest of us,” roared Merab Dvalishvili as he prepared for his clash against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. It is no surprise that the Georgian sensation doesn’t like his Caucasian counterpart. The rivalry between ‘The Machine’ and ‘The Young Eagle’ has intensified, culminating in a heated backstage confrontation during the pre-fight press conference for UFC 311. The clash may be a wrestling masterclass for the fans, but former UFC champion Luke Rockhold believes that the current bantamweight champion will lose his title to the Dagestani.

While having a conversation on the ‘Jaxxon Podcast’, Luke Rockhold discussed the fate of Merab Dvalishvili when he will face Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. The former middleweight champion explained that ‘The Machine’ might find it difficult to clash against ‘The Young Eagle’ considering the fact that the Dagestani might be having every counter for Dvalishvili’s attacks, “This is a tough matchup. Merab’s just a tricky, tough, hard-nosed dude, so it’s like Umar can beat him everywhere,” said Rockhold.

He further added, “He can outstrike him, and then Merab can shoot in. Umar can counter him and get to his back. I’m telling you, he 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 really looking at it, Umar is going to outstrike Merab. Then Merab will get frustrated. He’s going to shoot in, and Umar is going to counter him. He’ll probably get to a dominant position, and it’s going to go back up. I don’t see that fight going any other way.”

Merab Dvalishvili is currently riding an eleven-fight winning streak, and his wrestling has taken down most of his opponents. His battle against former champion Sean O’Malley is just a testament to his wrestling masterclass, but all of this can be overturned when he comes face-to-face against Umar Nurmagomedov, who has yet to be defeated in his MMA career. Luke Rockhold believes that this fight might go into distance, but it will be the Dagestani, who will emerge victorious.

There is also a significant difference in their training regimens. While Merab Dvalishvili trains alongside John Wood and Jerry Shapiro at the Syndicate MMA gym, Umar Nurmagomedov trains with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. However, despite that, Dvalishvili is confident that he will emerge victorious.

Merab Dvalishvili reveals the sacrifices behind his clash with Umar Nurmagomedov

Merab Dvalishvili was accused of ducking Umar Nurmagomedov, but it was later revealed that the Georgian fighter himself asked Hunter Campbell and Dana White for a clash against the Dagestani. Interestingly, the bantamweight champion had to sacrifice way too many things in order to clash against ‘The Young Eagle’. While having a conversation with UFC Espanol, ‘The Machine’ shared that he had many plans for Christmas and New Year, but all of those will have to wait as he prepares for his clash against Nurmagomedov.

“The fact that I will be coming back [within four months] after winning the title, I think it means a lot. I think it’s a quick turnaround. Also, I took this fight, kind of quick also, six weeks… And I have no excuses. I had so many plans for Christmas, New Year, my birthday… And I was going to go with Ilia in Spain and enjoy. But you know what, Umar [doesn’t] want to fight during Ramadan, no problem,” said Merab Dvalishvili.

Their clash is scheduled for January 18, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Both fighters have been putting in their best efforts, either to claim the title or to defend it. Regardless, what’s your take on their clash? Who do you think will emerge victorious at the grand clash? State your thoughts in the comments below.