Earlier this week, the UFC bantamweight division saw a significant change after the UFC Noche event, where the top-ranked contender dethroned Sean O’Malley from his throne and claimed the division’s crown.
However, his happiness didn’t last long as the title is already being eyed by undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov (18-0-0), a cousin of former UFC lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov, who recently made a leap from 10th to 2nd spot in the bantamweight rankings.
Despite winning the title, Merab Dvalishvili expressed reluctance to fight ‘Young Eagle’, turning down the bout and stating, “Let’s leave it like this, I’ve just won the belt.” This led to a verbal war between Nurmagomedov and Dvalishvili, with Umar Nurmagomedov accusing ‘The Machine’ of dodging the fight. However, the situation now seems to have changed, as recently updated by ‘Young Eagle’s’ coach, Javier Mendez.
Coach Javier Mendez is excited about what’s next for Umar Nurmagomedov
Earlier this year, when ranked #10 Umar Nurmagomedov was matched against #2 Cory Sandhagen at the most recent UFC event in Abu Dhabi, no one anticipated the dramatic shift in the bantamweight division. ‘Young Eagle’s’ victory led many to believe he might soon reach the level of his Hall of Famer cousin, Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, with the current champion not actively looking to fight, does it mean this Dagestani sensation will wait like Shavkat Rakhmonov or Belal Muhammad for his title shot?
Apparently yes. Umar Nurmagomedov is ready to take anyone, whether it’s Merab Dvalishvili or someone else as disclosed by Team Khabib’s head coach Javier Mendez. On his YouTube podcast, Mendez stated, ” I look forward to the next time Umar will fight. He’s not going to wait for his opportunity. If the UFC doesn’t give him a fight, Umar will say, ‘Okay, you’re not going to give me a fight? I’ll take whoever’s next. I’ve got to fight him anyway.’ So Umar, he’s fine. He’ll fight whoever they put in front of him.”
Coach Mendez may have claimed that Umar Nurmagomedov has already moved on from his title fight against newly crowned champion Merab Dvalishvili, but this doesn’t seem accurate. Recently, both fighters clashed again on social media when ‘The Machine’ brought up ‘Young Eagle’s’ Russian nationality, which also involved UFC lightweight king Islam Makhachev.
Like Dvalishvili, Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov had long roads to their UFC titles. So the former had no issues with his teammate seemingly being fast-tracked. However, the comment on Umar’s nationality did not sit well at all with the lightweight champ.
Islam Makhachev shuts down Merab Dvalishvili’s claims
Since his debut in the UFC bantamweight division, Umar Nurmagomedov has become a primary target for his peers, who continuously question his victories and allege favoritism from Dana White. Despite these claims, ‘Young Eagle’ has consistently impressed with his skills, showcasing grappling abilities reminiscent of his cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov. This has alarmed the entire bantamweight division, including Merab Dvalishvili, who knows how difficult it is to defeat Nurmagomedov.
Recently, ‘The Machine’ Merab Dvalishvili attempted mental warfare by questioning Nurmagomedov’s Russian identity, saying, “Umar actually not from Russia, he is from Dagestan but he still represents Russia.” This statement drew the ire of Islam Makhachev, who couldn’t ignore the verbal attack on his fellow countryman from Makhachkala in Dagestan. Makhachev responded with a sharp retort, stating, ” Merab Dvalishvili lives in America. He has no clue what he is talking about. Dagestan is a part of Russia. He is just playing mind games, but I think Umar will answer all the questions inside the cage.”
‘The Machine’ does raise a valid point. Umar Nurmagomedov is on the list of fighters the UFC has fast-tracked for success. His fellow bantamweight Sean O’Malley and light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira are other examples. O’Malley was ranked #11 and Yan at #1 when they fought. The controversial split decision win put ‘Suga’ on the map for a title fight, which he eventually won. Pereira entered the rankings at #6 after his win over Sean Strickland at UFC 276.
UFC betting on fighters they think are good for the promotion is nothing new. And they seem to be taking the same road with Umar Nurmagomedov.