Umar Nurmagomedov critiques Merab Dvalishvili's technique but believes he's too relentless to lose the belt this year
Despite losing to UFC bantamweight kingpin Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311 earlier this year, Umar Nurmagomedov walked out of the octagon with valuable insights on what makes it difficult to dethrone Dvalishvili.
Nurmagomedov's precise striking and calculated grappling make him one of the few rising fighters who have what it takes to challenge Dvalishvili's unlimited cardio and pressure. Yet after three rounds, it was 'The Machine's' cardio and pace that proved to be too much for the Russian fighter.
During a recent sitdown with sports journalist Adam Zubayraev, Nurmagomedov pointed out a few technical discrepancies in Dvalishvili's techniques, such as his inability to maintain dominant positions or complete submissions. Despite all this, the 29-year-old acknowledged the Georgian's relentless pressure game and suffocating style, as well as his ability to absorb damage.
Nurmagomedov said:
"I've hit Merab clean myself — he didn't even flinch. Tough guy. He's really hard to knock out. He's got cardio for days, and he's just got brute strength. It's not like he's got advanced grappling skills or submissions — he can't even hold people down properly. He just overwhelms."
Check out Umar Nurmagomedov's comments below:
With his win over Nurmagomedov adding to a résume that already includes names like José Aldo, Petr Yan, and Henry Cejudo, 'The Machine' looks poised to hold the throne for the foreseeable future — relentless, unorthodox, and nearly impossible to slow down.
When Umar Nurmagomedov fired back at Merab Dvalishvili's friend
Umar Nurmagomedov had heavy opinions when Merab Dvalishvili's friend and former UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, after moving to the lightweight division, wanted to fight champion Islam Makhachev. Nurmagomedov was not very pleased with the idea. In an interview with Submission Radio, he said:
"[Topuria] just became champion. You have to defend your title a couple [of] times. Even one time. Please, stay focused on your division. [Topuria has] Movsar [Evloev], Aljamain Sterling on the way. He has right now Max Holloway... This game [has] levels. They have levels, and he's not on Islam [Makhachev's] level. He's too small."
Check out Umar Nurmagomedov's comments below (12:43):