"Umar has to fight one more, or maybe two more" - UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili sets conditions for Umar Nurmagomedov rematch

Reigning UFC bantamweight kingpin Merab Dvalishvili recently took a light-hearted jab at his former opponent, Umar Nurmagomedov. Dvalishvili defended his 135-pound strap earlier this year for the first time when he faced Nurmagomedov at UFC 311.

'The Machine' used his endless cardio and superior wrestling to win the five-round war by unanimous decision. Nurmagomedov suffered a broken hand during the fight and has remained on the sidelines, recovering. Meanwhile, Dvalishvili recently defended his strap once more at UFC 316 in a rematch against former champion Sean O'Malley, and won by round three submission.

'The Machine' wants to remain active and fight two more times this year. He is expected to fight Cory Sandhagen next. However, previously, the Georgian had expressed that he is open to rematches. And the idea of running it back with Nurmagomedov was pitched by UFC CEO Dana White.

Recently, as shared by Championship Rounds on X, Dvalishvili was asked about a potential rematch with Nurmagomedov, to which the former quipped:

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"Umar has to fight one more, or maybe two more. Maybe three more, we'll see."

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments about Umar Nurmagomedov below:

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Umar Nurmagomedov commends Merab Dvalishvili's toughness plus cardio

Even though Merab Dvalishvili snatched Umar Nurmagomedov's undefeated record at UFC 311, the latter still has a lot of respect for the UFC bantamweight kingpin. During a recent interview with Adam Zubayraev, Nurmagomedov described Dvalishvili as a strong opponent who has a strong chin and endless cardio.

"I've hit Merab clean myself — he didn't even flinch. Tough guy. He's really hard to knock out. He's got cardio for days, and he's just got brute strength."

Nurmagomedov however critiqued Dvalishvili's technique, and added:

"It's not like he's got advanced grappling skills or submissions — he can't even hold people down properly. He just overwhelms."

Check out Umar Nurmagomedov's comments below:

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Edited by Subham