Umar Nurmagomedov is still chasing closure. His only professional MMA loss came against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311, a fight that unraveled early when Umar broke his hand in the first round. From there, Dvalishvili’s wrestling took over, and Umar was unable to find answers over the remaining rounds.
“I want my rematch. The only fight that didn’t go according to plan,” Umar said. “I want to know for myself how I would fight in the next three rounds.”
Merab Dvalishvili does not want to see Umar Nurmagomedov again
The loss has clearly stuck with Umar Nurmagomedov, and he’s made no secret that he wants the chance to prove the outcome would look different with a healthy hand and a full fight.
Merab Dvalishvili, however, hasn’t shown interest in running it back, having said he believes Umar shouldn’t have been fighting for the title in the first place and didn’t deserve the shot.
Umar Nurmagomedov Wants to Become UFC Champion While Carrying on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Legacy
Beyond settling the score, Umar says his motivation for chasing UFC gold runs deeper than personal validation. Speaking with Red Corner MMA, he explained the weight behind his pursuit of a title.
“I want to win the UFC belt not because I want to prove that I’m this or that, but I want to become champion just for myself, for my father, who invested so much in me, for my brothers who believe in me, and for Khabib in particular. I want to recreate his story to make our legacy even greater.”
Before any rematch talk becomes reality, Umar Nurmagomedov has business to take care of. He’s set to face Song Yadong on August 29, while Merab Dvalishvili is set to run it back with champion Petr Yan for a third time at UFC 333 on October 24.
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