LOS ANGELES – Wearing an all-burgundy go well with with an identical vest beneath, bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili walked right into a resort ballroom for UFC 311 media day with uncommon low power, and that’s most likely as a result of he had lots on his thoughts.
For starters, Dvalishvili, who claimed the 135-pound title this previous September with a dominant win over Sean O’Malley, most popular a six-month turnaround versus making his first title protection 4 months later. There’s additionally an damage he’s been coping with, the main points of which he wouldn’t expose, however he made it clear “coaching was tough” due to it.
On the high of the listing, although, is the budding feud with Umar Nurmagomedov, which they may settle Saturday as Dvalishvili places his belt on the road within the UFC 311 (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Disney+, ESPN+) co-main occasion at Intuit Dome. Issues acquired heated between the 2 males at a press convention in early December, which seemingly has bothered Dvalishvili ever since given he and Nurmagomedov had been on good phrases earlier than then.
As a lot as followers and pundits would possibly assume Dvalishvili hates Nurmagomedov, he insisted that’s not the case.
“It’s not true. I don’t must hate no one,” Dvalishvili mentioned. “You guys know I used to be kissing Sean O’Malley (in the course of the UFC 306 headliner). I had a lot enjoyable contained in the octagon. I used to be smiling there. I don’t must hate no one. I don’t hate no one, however it was issues that Umar disrespect me. He known as me a faux champion, which I’m not a faux champion. …
“He talked about my nation, and he nonetheless continued to disrespect me. This isn’t proper, particularly from him as a result of I do know him. Each time I see him, I give him my respect. I used to be cool with him, and I do know him as an individual. This isn’t like a online game, one thing speaking trash. We’re actual individuals. To get disrespect from Umar, I used to be mad.”
And now with their battle just some days away?
“Now it’s all good,” Dvalishvili mentioned. “We now have battle week. I’m optimistic.”
The battle between Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov is compelling for a few causes. It figures to be a high-level show of wrestling given their backgrounds. They’re additionally presently two of the winningest fighters on the UFC roster, having received a mixed 29 fights in a row.
Nurmagomedov’s general 18-0 document contains wins in his first six UFC bouts, most just lately beating contender Cory Sandhagen final August. Dvalishvili, in the meantime, will enter UFC 311 on an 11-fight profitable streak that features a few of the largest names within the division – Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, and O’Malley.
Win or lose, Dvalishvili hopes to reconcile with Nurmagomedov after the battle ends.
“After all, I wish to shake fingers, and I wish to give him respect,” Dvalishvili mentioned. “I wish to be good with him once more. We now have to settle this one now. We’re males. That’s OK. Typically we’ll battle. I’m simply upset that he disrespected me. He mustn’t disrespect me. I don’t wish to have an enemy.”
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