Dvalishvili’s Late Pace Secured His First Bantamweight
Merab Dvalishvili retained the UFC bantamweight championship against Umar Nurmagomedov on January 18, 2025. Their UFC 311 co-main event at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, ended with unanimous scores of 48–47, 48–47 and 49–46 for the champion.
Nurmagomedov made the stronger early impression
The unbeaten challenger used varied striking and strong grappling to make the opening rounds difficult for Dvalishvili. He largely kept the action standing and established an early advantage.
Dvalishvili continued working at a demanding pace rather than allowing that start to dictate the remainder of the contest. His pressure began producing more success during the third round.
The championship rounds changed the balance
Dvalishvili increased his activity during the fourth and fifth rounds as Nurmagomedov tired. The champion kept advancing, forcing the challenger backward and making it difficult for him to regain the earlier rhythm.
The judges favored Dvalishvili across the completed five rounds. Nurmagomedov suffered his first professional defeat, while the champion registered the first successful defense of his UFC title.
The defense followed an extended climb
Dvalishvili had won the belt from Sean O’Malley by unanimous decision in September 2024. Before that championship breakthrough, his run included victories over José Aldo, Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo.
The Nurmagomedov contest added a different test to that sequence: recovering from an opponent’s strong start while maintaining a pace he could sustain late. His conditioning and continuing pressure supplied the foundation for another full-distance victory.
Sources
- UFC: challenger’s early success and champion’s late pressure
- UFC: conditioning, event date and venue
- UFC: title victory and Aldo, Yan and Cejudo results
