The disagreement between new bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and his subsequent anticipated challenger Umar Nurmagomedov is just getting extra intense because the fighters commerce accusations of ducking from the previous and sooner or later.
Following a win over Cory Sandhagen in August, the UFC dubbed Nurmagomedov subsequent in line for a bantamweight title shot. However after Dvalishvili took the 135 pound belt off Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, he began pushing for a struggle with former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo as an alternative. That’s led to a number of debates between the 2 fighters over the worthiness of Umar as a title contender … which have now formally devolved into straight s— speaking.
“I smacked Petr Yan’s a— like a b—, I carried Henry Cejudo like a child, I kissed Sean O’Malley like his daddy,” Dvalishvili wrote on X (previously Twitter). “BUT I’ll merely SMASH Umar if the UFC places him in entrance of me subsequent.”
Umar No longer solely are you disrespectful , you’re a liar. If UFC provided you to struggle with me 2 instances – present the followers the contract and the dates. They provided me to struggle you proper after I beat Petr Yan with a damaged hand in 6 weeks. I accepted the struggle verbally even thought i…
— Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) September 29, 2024
“There isn’t any if,” Nurmagomedov replied in his personal tweet. “There is just one contender and that’s me. You turned champion solely since you didn’t settle for a struggle with me twice earlier than. For a similar motive there are not any fighters from the highest 10 in my checklist of fights, you and people such as you didn’t settle for a struggle with me.”
“Umar, not solely are you disrespectful, you’re a liar,” Merab fired again. “If UFC provided you to struggle with me two instances, present the followers the contract and the dates.”
“They provided me to struggle you proper after I beat Petr Yan with a damaged hand in six weeks,” he continued. “I accepted the struggle verbally even thought i used to be No. 1 contender and also you have been No. 13 rank, and even with damaged hand. In the end the physician mentioned no to this and I had surgical procedure. So lets see the contract of the second providing??!!!”
“So if the UFC is gifting you the title protection, WTF are you speaking trash and with disrespect? I’m finished with you now since you hold mendacity — you misplaced my respect as a person and a martial artist. I’ll wait to listen to from the UFC.”
“Is that the identical damage you have been able to struggle Cory [Sandhagen] with?” Umar requested. “I’m simply basing this on the supervisor’s phrases. Since prehistoric instances nobody cares concerning the respect of cowards.”
The struggle hasn’t even been booked and already Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov are throwing round loaded phrases like ‘liar’ and ‘coward.’ Which will simply be typical trash speak to North People, however them’s preventing phrases within the Caucasus. As we know from previous incidents, Merab is just not the kind to be disrespected with no response. We wouldn’t even be stunned if his newest near-brawl with a fan within the stands at UFC Paris concerned accusations of Umar-ducking.
So to be referred to as a coward by Nurmagomedov? The UFC higher set this struggle up quickly earlier than these two find yourself scrapping within the Efficiency Institute parking zone.