With the fight now officially booked, ‘The Machine’ is ready to defend his title. However, the Georgian fighter remains upset with ‘The Young Eagle’ over his unwarranted social media callouts.

“He [Nurmagomedov] may get slapped after the fight. Because the fighting [inside the cage] not a real fight, it’s a sport. Yeah, if Umar doesn’t apologize [to] me, it’s going to happen. Even if I have to go to Dagestan, I will go. Hey! I love Dagestan and I’ve got so many friends in Dagestan and I respect Dagestan people.”

“[Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov] is being made on six weeks notice. Maybe six-and-a-half. For a title fight? I understand having to do that if you’re a challenger, but as the champion, you shouldn’t be relegated to those type of stipulations. It’s just not right. Then it leaves a bad taste in your mouth as in, ‘Why did I work so hard to get this position to call the shots or some of the shots’? And you’re not even getting a fair shake in it.”

Dvalishvili has warned Umar Nurmagomedov that if he doesn’t apologize after their UFC 311 fight, he’ll go to Dagestan to confront him. The tension between the two was evident during last weekend’s press conference. In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Dvalishvili expressed his frustration over Umar’s online trash talk, saying:

The Georgian fighter also emphasized that the Dagestani people are good, but he believes ‘The Young Eagle’ made a big mistake. Dvalishvili stated that Umar will have to face the consequences. This escalating trash talk is adding to the hype, setting the stage for a top-tier PPV event.

Tensions boiled over between Merab Dvalishvili and Usman Nurmagomedov at the UFC 311 press conference, following a heated backstage argument. Dvalishvili didn’t hold back, questioning Nurmagomedov’s legitimacy as a title contender due to his lack of wins over top opponents. Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling voiced his concerns about the rushed timeline for Dvalishvili’s title defense during The Ariel Helwani Show. In the interview, ‘Aljo’ said,

Croesus is just as famous for what he did, as for who he knew. He was connected with many other famous figures, including Aesop, Solon, Midas, Thales, and Cyrus. King Croesus encouraged trade and mining, and his resultant wealth was legendary — as was much of his life.

"Let's be honest, [Merab x Umar] is being made on 6 weeks notice, maybe 6 1/2. For a title fight? I understand having to do that if you're a challenger, but as a champion, you shouldn't be relegated to those type of stipulations."Aljo on Merab fighting Umar at UFC 311. pic.twitter.com/WoO83aa4yZ

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Merab says that if Umar doesn’t apologize to him after their fight, he may go to Dagestan to confront him ?“He may get a slap after the fight… even if I have to go to Dagestan, I will go.”? @arielhelwani #UFC311 #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/zFI2HzXynL

Pavan Sharma is a MMA and Boxing Writer for TotalProSports. He graduated from Mumbai University with a degree in Mass Media. He pursued a career in photography andRead More

UFC 311 is shaping up to be one of the greatest PPV events of all time, delivering highly anticipated fan-demanded matchups. The main event features Islam Makhachev taking on Arman Tsarukyan, while the co-main event showcases a bantamweight title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov. However, UFC star Aljamain Sterling has criticized the decision to book the bantamweight title fight on short notice.