Current bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili is under a lot of pressure from the fans and the Dagestani camp. After successfully winning the title at UFC 306 against Sean O’Malley, Dvalishvili has a bigger task ahead of him. The Georgian fighter is scheduled to take on Umar Nurmagomedov next in his first title defense. The Dagestani fighter has earned his spot after his impressive victory against Cory Sandhagen at UFC Fight Night.

But it seems the champion feels ‘Young Eagle’ doesn’t quite deserve a title shot as of yet. Unfortunately, it’s the UFC that decides the fights, and Dvalishvili might just face consequences if he constantly denies Nurmagomedov.

Coach Mendez feels Merab Dvalishvili might get stripped of his belt

The entire saga between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov began during the UFC 306 post-fight interview. After his dominating victory, ‘The Machine’ was asked about his next opponent, Umar Nurmagomedov. On most occasions, the 33-year-old looks up to face anyone inside the Octagon. However, his response surprised most of them, including the undefeated Dagestani fighter. Rather than accepting the challenge, he completely ignored his next opponent, which triggered a response from the Dagestani camp. Coach Javier Mendez took to his YouTube channel to share his honest opinion on the whole.

According to the legendary coach, the champion is in a tough spot at the moment. He did his very best to reschedule a rematch with the former champion after the latter claimed he won the fight. Unfortunately for Dvalishvili, ‘Suga’ will undergo surgery on October 3 and took to his X account to respond to the rematch offer. He tweeted, “Getting surgery Oct 3rd. Fought you with one hip and still beat you. Round 1,3,5. I’m the champion. Fight Umnar.” 

So, where does this leave the new bantamweight champion? It seems he has to face the Dagestani fighter, as the UFC has already decided in favor of it. Coach Mendez took the time to discuss the entire issue on his podcast and gave Dvalishvili a hard reality check. He said, “But the UFC is telling you they showcase who’s next. And they told who’s next it’s Umar. So why is he avoiding Umar? Why doesn’t he want Umar? Is it true? Is it he feels he doesn’t deserve it? Is that the case? Why, okay, fine. But it doesn’t matter what he feels. He can say no. But he also can get stripped if he keeps saying no.”

Amidst all the chaos, Umar Nurmagomedov has been patiently waiting for his opportunity. However, it seems that the fight is pretty much fixed, as revealed by Ali Abdelaziz on his X account. The 28-year-old has now shared a warning for the champion and reminded him he has nowhere to run.

Umar Nurmagomedov sends out a strong message to Merab Dvalishvili on his X account

Umar Nurmagomedov is currently on a roll in the division. The 18-0(6-0 in the UFC) fighter has impressed everyone with his consistent performances inside the Octagon. His next challenge is to win the belt, and it seems he is on the right path. Despite the champion showing no interest in fighting him, the Dagestani team manager doesn’t quite feel so. He recently took to his X account and claimed, “Umar Nurmagomedov is fighting for the UFC Bantamweight championship next—done deal.” While there has been no official announcement for the fight as of yet, fans can expect to witness the battle soon.

According to Dvalishvili, Nurmagomedov has not defeated anyone in the top 15 and doesn’t qualify for a title shot. However, all such claims have had no effect on the 28-year-old, and he is confident he will be winning the title. Nurmagomedov has now shared a message for the champion, and it seems he means business. He took to his X account and tweeted, “Merab doesn’t have any other options, his only choice is to fight with me I’m the next contender to fight for the UFC Bantamweight Championship InshAllah”. Only if the pair face each other can fans expect to see a wrestling masterclass between the two.

Who do you think will win the fight between the two if the fight ever happens? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.