Merab Dvalishvili pulled off the biggest upset of the year! At the first pay-per-view event of 2025, held inside the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, UFC bantamweight champion ‘The Machine’ silenced his critics and proved why he belongs at the top of the division. In a hard-fought, five-round battle, ‘The Machine’ overcame the previously undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov, clinching victory by winning three of the rounds, despite recovering from an injury himself.

While many fans knew that Umar Nurmagomedov had been dealing with an injury, he and his coach from American Kickboxing Academy insisted it had fully healed. He claimed, “The way I look at it, we’re sparring great. Everything’s going great in sparring. Listen, no excuses,” before the fight. However, the truth about his condition came to light during the co-main event. After the fight, Umar revealed to Joe Rogan that he thought he won the first and second rounds, but added, “I don’t think it was decided, but Alhamdulillah.”

“After the first round, I couldn’t punch because I think I broke my hand. The game went like that. Alhamdulillah.” The Dagestani prospect continued. Though it remains unclear if it was the same hand he had injured previously, speculation points in that direction. Umar Nurmagomedov‘s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, posted a photo of ‘Young Eagle’s’ injured hand on X, accompanied by the message, “@UNmgdv broke his hand in the first round. No excuse, no excuse. Alhamdulillah for everything.”

This loss represents a major setback in Umar Nurmagomedov’s previously undefeated career, and it’s clear that his own decisions played a role. It’s a classic case of “shooting yourself in the foot.” UFC CEO Dana White played a key part in moving the fight forward, a bout that Merab Dvalishvili had hoped to schedule for February or March but was instead booked for January. Even ‘Young Eagle’s’ cousin, Khabib Nurmagomedov, acknowledged this shift in timing.

Khabib Nurmagomedov alleged Dana White pressured Merab Dvalishvili to fight Umar

Earlier this year, speaking to social media influencer The Schmo, Merab Dvalishvili shared, “This fight in January wasn’t my original plan—I wanted to fight in March. But since I’m fighting in January, I still want to fight in March and April.” Just four months had passed since Merab claimed the bantamweight title by defeating former champion Sean O’Malley at the historic UFC 306 at The Sphere last September.

Despite the rushed timeline and pressure from Dana White and Team Khabib—including Umar Nurmagomedov, who accused Merab Dvalishvili of “ducking” or being afraid of him—Merab stood strong, unfazed by the criticism. He took the fight despite having recently undergone surgery, with the effects of his injury still visible.

In response to the situation, last week, Khabib Nurmagomedov, UFC Hall of Famer and Umar’s cousin, spoke candidly about it. In an interview with a YouTube channel, Khabib stated, “This is my personal opinion. They pushed for it and made it happen so that he (Merab Dvalishvili) would fight him. The UFC needed a co-main event for the title at UFC 311. Umar was next in line to fight for the belt.”

What do you think of Umar Nurmagomedov’s claims? Was there any bias towards the Dagestani fighter? How would you assess Merab Dvalishvili’s performance at the Intuit Dome today? Do you believe Merab gave his full effort in the fight? Share your thoughts below.