UFC 311 witnessed the power of Georgian wrestling as Merab Dvalishvili dominated Umar Nurmagomedov to win via unanimous decision. Needless to say, it was a war between the wrestling-heavy mixed martial artists. But with his first successful title defense, ‘The Machine’ jokingly declared that all he needed was rest for 7 days before he could jump back into the Octagon once again. 

But the question that remained was about the Georgian champion’s next opponent. Let’s take a look at who might get the chance to fight with ‘The Machine’ for the UFC bantamweight championship belt.

1. Alexandre Pantoja

Alexandre Pantoja had already called dibs on the winner of Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov. Well, that was the flyweight champion’s choice of an opponent after Demetrious Johnson refused to overturn his retirement and fight ‘The Cannibal’. He said, “Maybe I’ll wait for Merab or Umar, you know?”

Well, a fight between Alexandre Pantoja and Merab Dvalishvili would be filled with strong and entertaining grappling techniques. However, ‘The Machine’ would easily dominate the fight against someone who usually weighs less than he does. In that case, he definitely goes up for a rematch against Sean O’Malley.

2. Sean O’Malley

The last fight between ‘Suga’ and Dvalishvili at UFC 306, resulted in a hilarious matchup, with the Georgian being the comic and also in control of the fight. Logically, O’Malley should get a chance to fight Dvalishvili once again. After all, he is the current #1 bantamweight contender. And even the champ looks at him as a challenge. 

During the post-fight press conference for UFC 311, Dvalishvili hinted at the rematch and said, “I think also [Sean] O’Malley, he was complaining about something, and he really has a chance. We know he can really knock people out, if he lands on you he has a big chance. I see him as a challenge too.” But a rematch against ‘Young Eagle’ might also be a possibility.

3. Umar Nurmagomedov 

The previously undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov went through his first-ever defeat at UFC 311. No doubt, ‘Young Eagle’ would love a rematch against ‘The Machine’ and try to redeem himself of his only loss. However, getting an immediate rematch is pretty unlikely. But we can’t rule it out completely, because there are matchups being made just because the fighting community wants them. And with the kind of performance Nurmagomedov showed against Dvalishvili, the fans do think that he’s worthy of a second chance. 

But first, the Dagestani would need some time off to heal his broken hand. After all, he claimed that it was his injury that became a hurdle to his victory at UFC 311. Nevertheless, Dvalishvili has a few more options left before Nurmagomedov can return to 100 percent health. 

4. Petr Yan

Dvalishvili has already secured a win over Petr Yan at UFC Fight Night 248. It was one of the most exciting fights in the Georgian fighter’s career. ‘The Machine’ won the bout via a unanimous decision. It was an expected outcome as Dvalishvili set a record for most takedown attempts in a single fight. And the number was 49. But later, in November 2024, Dvalishvili asked for a rematch against Yan. 

Taking to X, the bantamweight champion targeted Yan and suggested the fight to be scheduled for UFC 313. This matchup makes even more sense considering the Russian’s recent dominant victory over Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Macau. But that’s a decision we can leave for Dana White and Co.

5. Deiveson Figueiredo

The #5 bantamweight prospect, Deiveson Figueiredo can also be a viable fight for Dvalishvili. After all, the champion has himself deemed ‘Figgy’ worthy of being a challenger to the bantamweight title. During a conversation with Daniel Cormier on his YouTube channel, ‘The Machine’ weighed in on Figueiredo and said, “Yeah, because he’s a more value guy, I think. He’s a more dangerous guy. It excites me more.”

Who do you think should fight Merab Dvalishvili next? Is there a more worthy opponent for ‘The Machine’ whom we missed out on this list? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.