The bantamweight division is heating up, and Merab Dvalishvili is at the center of it all. Fresh off watching his former rival Petr Yan dominate Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Macau, the reigning champion seems more interested in running it back with Yan than addressing the elephant in the room—Umar Nurmagomedov.

‘No Mercy’ stepped into the cage against the former flyweight champion after a series of injuries in his fight against Song Yadong at UFC 299 had left him on the sidelines. With an impressive performance that secured him a unanimous decision victory against Figueiredo, Yan made a bold call out after the fight as he stated, “I want to say, Merab, what you say now when I beat No. 1 contender in my division? I want to do a rematch with Merab. Let’s go.”

The bantamweight champion’s response? In a post on Instagram, Dvalishvili stated, “Great fight Petr. I like your call out, and I like your respect. Let’s go again after 2 years. March 8, T-Mobile, let’s f—–g go.” But amidst this back-and-forth, Umar Nurmagomedov looms like a storm on the horizon, seemingly ignored by Dvalishvili despite holding an undefeated 18-0 record and earning a place in the title shot conversations after dismantling Cory Sandhagen.

This clash of priorities has left fans divided. While some argued that Dvalishvili deserves the liberty to choose his next opponent, others believe a champion must face the most deserving challenger. Here’s a look at what the netizens had to say!

Fans split down the middle as Merab Dvalishvili ignores Umar Nurmagomedov’s title shot claims

One fan highlighted the glaring omission of Umar Nurmagomedov in the update by Merab Dvalishvili. The Dagestani contender, for his part, hasn’t stayed silent. He called out Dvalishvili for sidestepping him in a post on social media by stating, “Someone, please tell him that it looks terrible.”

“Umar is invisible??”

The fact that Dvalishvili called for a fight with Petr Yan on a date in March didn’t escape the fan’s notice either. The frustration is palpable, especially with Ramadan complicating Nurmagomedov’s fight schedule and pushing potential matchups further into 2025.

“Bros doing anything to not fight umar”

Yet, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill was firmly on Dvalishvili’s side. ‘The Machine’ and Yan previously faced off in 2023 where Dvalishvili walked away with a unanimous decision victory. Now, with the win over Figueiredo, ‘No Mercy’ has proven that he’s still determined to re-claim the crown he once held.  

Jamahal Hill: “My boy hungry serve him a dish!!!”

Meanwhile, other fans were firmly on the side of Yan being a more deserving contender for the title shot. Their reason? The fact that the Nurmagomedov family name has seemingly opened more doors for ‘The Young Eagle’ than other fighters. Even Dvalishvili’s friend and long-time training partner Aljamain Sterling thinks so. In a recent conversation with Ariel Helwani, the former bantamweight champion stated, “I love Umar. I think Umar is a great guy, but facts are the facts. I don’t care what your cousin (Khabib) has done. That does not have any bearing on what you have done for the sport. You’ve got to cut your teeth in this game, not riding the coattails of your family’s merit.”

“Umar has Khabib privileges, he can wait”

Umar Nurmagomedov’s UFC record has also invited scrutiny from the fans. Since making his debut inside the Octagon in 2021, Nurmagomedov has only beaten one opponent currently ranked in the top 10 of the 135 lbs. division, Cory Sandhagen. While he is undefeated, fans pointed out that Yan’s resume as a former champion and his performance against Figueiredo makes him the rightful challenger for the title. What do you think?

“Who has Umar beaten? Petr is a former champ and just dominated a former champ”

To wrap things up, the bantamweight division has become a cauldron of competition, with narratives clashing as fiercely as fighters. Merab Dvalishvili’s decision to prioritize a rematch with Petr Yan over a potential showdown with Umar Nurmagomedov has sparked debates that stretch far beyond the Octagon. Is the champion strategically dodging a rising storm, or is he simply rewarding Yan’s persistence and pedigree? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!