Nurmagomedov Fires Back at Dvalishvili’s Title Shot Comments
Ahead of UFC 306, Umar Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili disputed who should receive the next bantamweight title opportunity. Dvalishvili was scheduled to challenge champion Sean O’Malley on September 14; Nurmagomedov was an unbeaten contender who had recently defeated Cory Sandhagen.
The disagreement
Dvalishvili publicly argued that former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo had a stronger case, citing his recent wins and willingness to fight. Nurmagomedov rejected the suggestion that he should wait and answered Dvalishvili’s comments on social media. Contemporary coverage documented the exchange.
What happened next
Dvalishvili defeated O’Malley by unanimous decision to win the bantamweight title. Afterward, he again said Figueiredo deserved consideration, while UFC leadership ultimately booked Nurmagomedov for the champion’s first defense. The disagreement was about contender order, not a formal UFC ruling. MMA Fighting reported Dvalishvili’s post-fight comments.
The matchup
Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov eventually fought at UFC 311 in January 2025; Dvalishvili won by unanimous decision, 48–47, 48–47 and 49–46. That later result resolved the sporting question between them, though it did not establish that either man had been “right” about the earlier title-shot debate.
Sources
Tags: MMA
