Merab Dvalishvili’s first title protection is simply across the nook and he expects Umar Nurmagomedov to fall like all the remaining.
When Dvalishvili makes the stroll to the octagon for the UFC 311 co-main occasion on Jan. 18, he’ll be doing so on an 11-fight win streak, which was capped off by his bantamweight championship overcome Sean O’Malley this previous September. Regardless of initially not sounding smitten by being matched up with Nurmagomedov—at present No. 1 at 135 kilos within the MMA Combating World Rankings—Dvalishvili is totally centered on the undefeated challenger now and he expects his talent set will show to be superior on struggle night time.
“I’m going to point out Georgian wrestling and Georgian toughness and I’m going to interrupt the man,” Dvalishvili instructed Michael Bisping on the Consider You Me podcast. “It’s going to be an important struggle. Umar is an effective fighter, however normally once I struggle towards good fighters and towards powerful fighters I all the time present up. So long as I’m wholesome, I’m good, and I’ll be nice. It’s going to be an important struggle.
“I’m not anticipating any simple struggle from Umar. As a fighter, I all the time respect him, and I’ve all the time identified he’s an excellent fighter, and I’m excited to struggle an excellent fighter like Umar. He’s undefeated and I’m going to alter his file.”
Dvalishvili’s run to the highest of his division has been marked by his highly effective wrestling and relentless tempo, which has carried him to wins over O’Malley, Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan, Jose Aldo, and Marlon Moraes, amongst others. In opposition to O’Malley, Dvalishvili expertly used his grappling to defuse O’Malley’s vaunted hanging en path to a commanding determination win.
Nevertheless, when Dvalishvili squares off with Nurmagomedov, he expects to point out off all points of his recreation.
“I’m prepared for hanging,” Dvalishvili mentioned. “I’m not going to look to take him down, management, lay on prime like O’Malley. I’m going to punch his face, kick his legs, hold it on the toes, and I’m going to point out an excellent struggle. It’s going to be an important struggle, even when it’s going to be a number of scrapping, a number of exchanges. I imagine it’s going to be Combat of the Night time.”
Over time, Dvalishvili has proven he’s not only a dominant competitor within the cage, he’s additionally a jokester outdoors of it. The Georgian native steadily posts comedic movies on his social media channels that poke enjoyable at his rivals.
The lead-up to UFC 311 has been principally devoid of such antics and Dvalishvili has an excellent purpose for that.
“I’m further centered for my subsequent struggle,” Dvalishvili mentioned. “Additionally, Umar, he doesn’t deserve [for me] to make enjoyable of him. I’m not going to joke with him. It’s severe, it’s a severe, severe battle, and I don’t have time for jokes now. … At first, I didn’t need this struggle as a result of I’m like, how am I going to make enjoyable of him, how am I going to joke with him, he’s from a special world, he doesn’t perceive, particularly he disrespected me now.
“However I don’t assume we’ve to advertise this struggle. I don’t have to advertise this struggle, I’m a champion now. He has to advertise this struggle if he needs, however to not disrespect me and name me faux champion. We’re preventing co-main occasion, however I feel most followers are excited for our struggle most.”
Ought to Dvalishvili defeat Nurmagomedov, it might take away a serious hurdle from his path. However that doesn’t imply the champion sees clear crusing forward as he’s beforehand talked about wanting rematches with O’Malley and Yan, and he additionally has his eye on contemporary challenges.
“[Mario] Bautista, he has a seven-fight win streak now and he’s an excellent contender additionally,” Dvalishvili mentioned. “After which I did beat Petr, however rematch can be attention-grabbing now. O’Malley may have a special recreation plan now. He landed two punches or one thing, I felt it. He can actually knock folks out and he has actually has energy, he hits actually exhausting.
“Then subsequent struggle can be subsequent problem. There are guys which are arising, I do know there are guys within the prime 15, I simply don’t actually keep in mind the title, however I feel the No. 15 and No. 14 guys they’re actually good. They’ve lengthy win streaks additionally. There are such a lot of. I’m excited, I simply wish to be busy now.”
