The rivalry between Umar Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili is all set to culminate in a few hours at UFC 311. Both fighters have exchanged subtle jabs through interviews, fueling speculation of a cracking showdown. However, the Dagestani fighter made a remarkable revelation before the most important bout of his career.

‘Young Eagle’ pointed out he had broken his hand a few months back which has recovered in time. However, the 135lbs champion doesn’t quite feel that the challenger is honest about his injury. Let us take a look at what he had to say.

Merab Dvalishvili shares his honest opinion on Umar Nurmagomedov’s injury claims

Last November, Umar Nurmagomedov shared on X that he had been dealing with an injury. He revisited the topic in a recent interview with ESPN, clarifying that by the time his training camp for the fight against Merab Dvalishvili began, he was fully healed. Drawing inspiration from his cousin’s iconic phrase, the undefeated contender confidently stated that he is in “perfect” condition to enter the Octagon and pursue his goal of becoming the 15th unbeaten fighter to claim a world title.

The injury happened months ago during a training session in Dagestan. It’s reported that Umar suffered picked up the injury during an intense sparring session when he threw a punch. This ultimately resulted in a fracture in his hand. While the Dagestani is all geared up and roaring to go, the Georgian had some harsh words for him. The pair has already been involved in a lot of altercations and Dvalishvili’s recent comments might not sit well with the Dagestani camp. According to the champ, Umar might just be overselling his injury.

MMA Fighting shared the clip on their Instagram page where Dvalishivili didn’t mince any words. He said, “He’s bullsh—ing He’s a bulls…t guy. And I am not buying this bulls–t you know. His injury like he has like little injury in his arm. I had injury big injury but I am not mentioning this bringing up this one. I saw him train he was punching bags very good like when he arrived in Vegas.”

The champ further added, “You can go and see in the video he posted you know. He was punching the bag and if you have any problem with the hand you won’t be able to punch the bag. And then he was punching bag very normal and I think he is just mentioning this to make some excuse.” 

The Dagestani camp is famous for its intense training sessions, and one cannot take part in it if they are not fully fit. It will now be interesting to see who comes out on top when the duo takes on each other. The UFC reportedly had a lot of problems in setting up the fight as the champion was allegedly not willing to take on the ‘Young Eagle’. According to Dvalishvili, Umar essentially got the shot as a gift owing to his famous last name. So what made the fight happen? It seems Khabib Nurmagomedov knows the answer.

Khabib Nurmagomedov makes a big claim regarding UFC 311 co-main event

The Intuit Dome is set to host an electrifying weekend as the year’s first PPV event approaches. While the main event between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan has faced a massive setback with Arman’s pullout, the spotlight is well and truly on the co-main event. The 135lbs title fight has stirred up controversy, with both fighters accusing each other of “ducking” and “undeserving”. Questions have also been raised about the timing of the bout, as it’s only been four months since Dvalishvili claimed the bantamweight title.

So, what led to this fight to finally take place in such a short period? According to Khabib Nurmagomedov, it came down to pressure from UFC CEO Dana White. Speaking on the YouTube channel MMA TEAM Gorilla Fighting, he said, “Personally, I think the UFC forced him [Merab] into it—this is my personal opinion. They pressed on it and made it happen so that he would fight with him. The UFC needed a co-main event for the belt at this tournament, UFC 311. Umar was next in line to fight for the belt.”

Luckily for the fans, the fight will finally take place and it promises to be a hell of a fight. Who do you think will win between the two at UFC 311? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.