UFC 306 wrapped up in spectacular fashion, with Merab Dvalishvili emerging victorious over Sean O’Malley in a night full of electrifying moments. The Sphere lit up, not just with the action inside the Octagon, but with jaw-dropping UFC short films and the triumphant return of Valentina Shevchenko as she reclaimed her belt. But as the cheers echoed through the arena, the storylines for the future began to take shape, and none bigger than what’s next for Dvalishvili.

Amidst his celebration, one man watched from the stands—his next potential opponent, Umar Nurmagomedov. The undefeated Dagestani was there to witness firsthand how ‘The Machine’ took down O’Malley, but his expression remained cold and calculated. Nurmagomedov looked unfazed by Dvalishvili’s dominance, and when asked about his future, Merab played it cool, sidestepping the question altogether.

But, of course, rumors don’t sleep. Insider buzz is already swirling about a potential clash between the two, with one source confirming that this bout may be closer than we think.

Insider has full proof about Merab Dvalishvili vs Umar Nurmagomedov

Team Khabib’s manager Ali Abdelaziz saw the showdown at The Sphere but he already has plans for the future. He posted on X, “I spoke to @ufc, @UNmgdv next congratulation to Merab nobody deserves it more than him.” So according to the Egyptian manager, ‘The Machine’ will face Umar Nurmagomedov.

The latter saw the whole showdown inside The Sphere and calmly looked at the stage when Joe Rogan asked Dvalishvili about his title defense. The unbeaten Dagestani fighter was unfortunately disappointed since he did not get a straight answer. He saw the entire ordeal and also knew that previously Dvlishvili had not wanted to fight with him. This is likely because Dagestani fighters have established such dominance across multiple weight classes in the UFC, posing a formidable threat to any champion hoping to enjoy a prolonged reign in their division.

The 33-year-old was excited by his win and spoke at length about his achievement. However, when it came to talking about his next fight, he did not quite respond the way many would have wanted. Let’s take a look at the post-fight interview and what Umar Nurmagomedov had to say.

Merab Dvalishvili does not respond to Umar Nurmagomedov’s call-out

The UFC color commentator held on to the bantamweight champion and took his interview inside the cage. Rogan asked, “How do you feel about Umar Nurmagomedov being your next opponent?”.  The new champ had an uncanny response, “Dana White is a great man, he changed my life, I love this company, I’m a normal guy”.Maybe he was overwhelmed by the win and did not want to answer just yet. Dvalishvili has previously spoken about his next opponent and said that he would not prefer Umar but if White made this matchup he would not back out.

However after the UFC Noche concluded and the Dagestani got this answer, he posted something on X. He said, “White Papakha vs Black Papakha Have to be Congratulations  @MerabDvalishvil .Right now you champion You deserve this belt Enjoy”. He was pretty calm while witnessing the Georgian win the belt and said, “I think I’m next. I hope they will not avoid it and run. They have to be true champions and don’t choose opponents. See you soon guys.”

Presently there is no announcement of the next fight. However, let us focus on the new champ who now has 11 wins in UFC and finally won the belt after a long wait. Let’s see if this fight between the Dagestani and the new champ comes to fruition.