Dvalishvili Calls for Umar Nurmagomedov Fight
Merab Dvalishvili’s visit to the promotion’s offices helped turn his first bantamweight title defense against Umar Nurmagomedov into a confirmed bout. Dana White said Dvalishvili came to his office in December 2024 because he was tired of hearing Nurmagomedov disrespect him and wanted the fight made quickly.
How the fight was booked
White announced the matchup on December 4, 2024, for the January 18, 2025 event at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The bantamweight championship bout was scheduled as the co-main event, with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev also set to defend his title.
Dvalishvili retained his title
The matchup went five rounds. Dvalishvili won by unanimous decision, with the judges scoring it 48–47, 48–47 and 49–46. He kept the bantamweight championship, handing Nurmagomedov the first loss of his professional career.
The office visit made for a dramatic announcement, but the bout was settled in the cage: Dvalishvili’s pace and work in the later rounds carried him to the decision.
The office visit made the booking public, but the championship was decided six weeks later. Dvalishvili’s unanimous decision kept the title and gave Nurmagomedov his first professional defeat. The result matters more than the dramatic lead-up: a request for a fight became an official matchup, then a five-round contest with three judges favoring the champion.
Sources
- Report on the announcement
- Official event recap
- Official judges’ scorecards
