Tag: Merab Dvalishvili

Aljamain Sterling irked by UFC booking Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov on short notice

This situation feels all too familiar to Aljamain Sterling.

[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] believes UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] is being rushed to defend his title.

Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) meets [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the UFC 311 co-main event (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) Jan. 18 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.

After claiming the bantamweight title this past September at UFC 306, Dvalishvili was looking to take some time off. However, he wound up booked against Nurmagomedov earlier than he wanted, and Sterling is bothered that Dvalishvili wasn’t given more time to prepare for his first title defense.

“This fight is being made on six weeks’ notice? Maybe six-and-a-half,” Sterling said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “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. It’s just not right.

“Then it leaves a bad taste in your mouth as in, ‘Why did I work so hard to get to this position to call the shots or some of the shots?’ And you’re not even getting a fair shake in it. Hopefully we go out there – knock on wood – Merab does his thing, he takes (Nurmagomedov’s) 0, puts on a great performance, and we can move on from this and on to the next.”

Sterling can relate to Dvalishvili’s current situation. After Sterling retained his bantamweight title against Henry Cejudo at UFC 288 in May 2023, he was asked to defend his belt against Sean O’Malley just more than three months later at UFC 292. He lost the fight by knockout.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

Sean O’Malley reacts to Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov UFC 311 title fight

Sean O’Malley was a little surprised to see Merab Dvalishvili booked vs. Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311.

[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] was a little surprised to see [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] booked vs. [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] at UFC 311.

Bantamweight champion Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) defends his title against Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the Jan. 18 co-main event (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.

After Dvalishvili dethroned O’Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) by unanimous decision at UFC 306 in September, he refused to acknowledge Nurmagomedov as No. 1 contender. He was even willing to grant O’Malley a rematch so, O’Malley was surprised to see Nurmagomedov get his wish with UFC 311 approaching so soon.

“Dude, that’s next month,” O’Malley said of Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov on his “TimboSugaShow” podcast. “That’s like 30 days away, and there’s like two title fights (that) get announced, which they may have known about them further out.

“But, it seems like the Merab vs. Umar, like no one really knew. Umar was going to fight in December, Merab wanted to fight in March and it was like, I might fight (Dvalishvili) in April, which is all in my head.”

O’Malley sees a potential fight with Nurmagomedov being massive, but would also love to avenge his loss to Dvalishvili – a fight he thinks is much closer than people give him credit for.

“I want Merab to win because I want that one back,” O’Malley said. “I want the rematch. I want that one back. That’s what I want. But if Umar wins, that’s a big fight, too.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili incensed by Umar Nurmagomedov’s disrespect

UFC bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili demands an apology from Umar Nurmagomedov.

UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] is fuming ahead of his first title defense against [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag].

Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) meets Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the UFC 311 (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) co-main event Jan. 18 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. Nurmagomedov has antagonized Dvalishvili for the past couple of months, accusing him of being scared. The pair continued to trade barbs during the UFC 311 pre-fight press conference last week, and “The Machine” has had enough.

He demands an apology from Nurmagomedov.

“I’m a man first,” Dvalishvili said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “If you come to my face and if you disrespect me, you’re going to get slapped. Don’t try that because I’m a man, and I will never forgive you, even if I have to go to jail. I don’t care, man. I have so much to lose. I don’t care (about) this belt. I don’t care (about) this money. I don’t care (about) this legacy.

“I’m a man, I live in a respectful way, and that’s all I believe. I don’t care. Especially now I’m a U S. citizen, I can f*cking fight, beat the sh*t out of these motherf*ckers, and I have no problem to pay the bill, ticket, or go to jail. I don’t care because don’t disrespect me.”

Dvalishvili: Nurmagomedov ‘may get a slap after the fight’

Dvalishvili was involved in a fan altercation while cornering teammate Aljamain Sterling at UFC 310. While Dvalishvili was recording Sterling walking to the back, he was grabbed in the arm by a fan, who allegedly began insulting him. That prompted his teammate, Dennis Buzukja, to throw punches at the fan while Dvalishvili was restrained by security.

Dvalishvili accused Nurmagomedov’s team of provoking the incident and is even willing to let things escalate after the fight, where he vows not to hold back until he gets his respect.

“He may get a slap after the fight,” Dvalishvili said. “The fight in the octagon is not a real fight; it’s a sport. If Umar does not apologize to me, it’s going to happen. Even if I have to go in Dagestan, I will go. I love Dagestan. I have so many friends in Dagestan, and I respect the Dagestan people. They’re good people.

“But Umar made big mistake with me, and Umar has to pay for this. But my support and my love for the Dagestan people (is there), and I still respect Khabib’s team, Islam, and everybody else. But I have problem with only Umar. I don’t want to fix this problem before the fight, but after the fight, I want to fight him.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

Overreaction Time: Alexandre Pantoja and Shavkat Rakhmonov elite? Colby Covington in danger, more!

Check out the latest episode of “Overreaction Time” on what happened at UFC 310 and what’s to come at UFC 311, UFC 312 and UFC Tampa.

The time for overreacting is here!

Check out the latest episode of “Overreaction Time” at noon ET/9 a.m. PT as host Simon Samano and MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn debate these “overreactions” on the following topics in mixed martial arts:

  • UFC 310: [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] will STILL be flyweight champion at the end of 2025.
  • UFC 310: [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag]’s title reign is up next.
  • Shavkat Rakhmonov and [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] WILL meet again for the UFC welterweight title.
  • UFC 311: [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] SHOULD BE the main event over [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag].
  • UFC 311: Umar being favored over Merab is NUTS!
  • UFC 312: [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] getting a title shot over [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] is BULLSH*T.
  • A [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] rematch is a GREAT idea.
  • UFC Tampa: [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] won’t just beat [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag], he’ll knock him out!

Watch the full episode in the video above.

Dennis Buzukja recounts exchanging punches with fan at UFC 310, hopes ‘no charges pressed’

Dennis Buzujka insists he was attempting to de-escalate a situation between UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili and a fan that only got worse.

Even though UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] received all the attention, his teammate and friend, [autotag]Dennis Buzukja[/autotag], was the one throwing punches with a fan at UFC 310.

The incident happened after Aljamain Sterling’s unanimous decision loss to Movsar Evloev at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Devalishvili and Buzukja were in Sterling’s corner and afterward, as they walked back to the locker room, an altercation broke out between Dvalishvili and the fan. Original cell phone video showed Dvalishvili being restrained by a security guard and Buzukja approaching the man and exchanging punches before he, too, was restrained.

As it turns out, Dvalishvili shared an edited video on social media that not only included an alternate angle of what sparked the moment but also the identity of the fan, Arman Tugaev, a Kazakh who was there to support Shavkat Rakhmonov. However, Dvalishvili believes Tugaev was planted by upcoming title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov to deliberately provoke him.

Photos of Tugaev and Team Nurmagomedov were posted to the fighter’s Instagram Stories after the event. Past photos also exist of Tugaev with other members of the team, including Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Less than 48 hours later, Buzujka offered his account of what happened.

“I don’t know if he had touched Merab as we were walking in, but somehow he got Merab’s attention and then Merab went and tapped his shoulder and just gave him the finger, and then the guy gave him the finger back or whatever,” Buzujka said on “The Weekly Scraps” podcast with Sterling. “He got all jumpy.

“Then as the fight finished and we’re walking back on the other side, this f*cking guy comes across the whole crowd and then goes and, you’ve seen the video, he grabs Merab’s arm and then says something to him in, I guess Russian or whatever, and Merab started going crazy. Then we got into a little physical altercation, but that was really it. So hopefully no charges pressed and we move on.”

Buzujka said he was trying to make peace when he approached Tugaev, but that’s not how the situation played out. He’s glad it wasn’t worse than simply landing a couple of punches on each other.

“I went and approached him, and I just put his hand down,” Buzujka said. “I was trying to deescalate and tell him, ‘Yo, calm down, bro. Relax.’ Merab was going away. I just wanted to tell him to relax, have some respect. Then he cracked me first. Actually he cracked me with a nice little left hook, and then it was just instinct to hit him back. Then security came in, but part of me is like, ‘Should I just drop the bucket and just jump over and start swinging?’ Just go full f*cking degenerate, but I’m glad it didn’t happen that way.”

With Dvalishvili and Buzujka sanctioned by the Nevada Athletic Commission to corner Sterling, it’s unclear if any punishment could be coming down from the NAC. UFC CEO Dana White mostly downplayed the situation after UFC 310.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Dana White unsure how to handle Merab Dvalishvili’s temperament, altercations with fans: ‘What do you do?’

Dana White reacts to bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili’s temperament and multiple altercations during UFC 310 fight week.

UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] faced multiple incidents involving [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] during UFC 310 fight week and is unsure how to handle his temperament going forward.

The bantamweight champion kept security on their toes on more than one occasion in Las Vegas. Friday, prior to the UFC 311 on-sale press conference, Dvalishvili was separated from his upcoming title challenger, Umar Nurmagomedov, during a heated argument backstage at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

As a preventative measure, Dvalishvili was seated further away than usual on stage for the news conference, which also featured UFC 311 headliners Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan. During the event, Dvalishvili engaged in shouting matches with Nurmagomedov, which could simply be chalked up to fight promotion.

However, after his teammate Aljamain Sterling lost to Movsar Evloev on the UFC 310 prelims, Dvalishvili, who was an official cornerman for Sterling, was restrained by security again, this time due to an altercation with a fan. Another teammate, cornerman, and fellow UFC fighter, Dennis Buzukja, was also involved and captured on video punching the fan during the ugly incident before he was pulled away.

White was not asked about Buzukja’s involvement, but responded to a question about Dvalishvili’s general temperament as of late. The UFC boss said he’s unsure how to address it, while offering a vauge hint at accountability.

“He’s my mini (Sean) Strickland without the mouth,” White told reporters during a UFC 310 post-event news conference. “What do you do? Let him buy the pay-per-view, I guess. I don’t know. You can’t keep fighting with f*cking fans. It’s going to cost you a lot, you can do it. It’s going to cost you a lot of money, right? I don’t know.

“Listen, man. I say it all the time: We’re in the f*cking fight business. This happens. We’ve got to deal with it.”

It’s unclear what White meant by saying the incident will cost Dvalishvili monetarily. The promotion has not announced a fine, nor is there an indication the fan has pressed charges. MMA Junkie reached out to UFC officials for further clarity, but has not received a response at the time of writing.

“We do our best,” White said about addressing unexpected incidents involving fighters. “I didn’t even know Nate Diaz was coming yesterday, threw a water bottle at Islam (Makhachev), I don’t know why. But listen, if you guys knew this much of what goes on behind the scenes, you would wonder why we do this for a living.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Merab Dvalishvili: UFC 310 fan incident ‘deliberate provocations’ by Umar Nurmagomedov’s team

UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili believes the fan involved in an incident at UFC 310 was set up by upcoming opponent Umar Nurmagomedov’s team.

[autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] has begun to address the physical altercation Saturday at UFC 310 between himself, a fan, and teammate Dennis Buzukja.

Dvalishvili and Buzukja were cornermen for Aljamain Sterling’s preliminary bout against Movsar Evloev at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. As they all were making the walk to the back after the fight, video surfaced online of Dvalishvili being restrained by security, while Buzukja threw punches at a fan.

The initial viral video did not capture what started the incident. However, on Sunday, Dvalishvili shared a video edit on social media that not only included an alternate angle of what sparked the moment but also the identity of the fan involved.

While Dvalishvili was recording his teammate Sterling walking to the back, a fan grabbed Dvalishvili’s arm, and allegedly began insulting the UFC bantamweight champion. Dvalishvili was quickly restrained by security while Buzukja approached and began punching the fan.

“Turns out he is not just fan from Kazakhstan, but a provoker,” a narrating voice said in the video.

The fan in the video was identified as Arman Tugaev, a Kazakhstani who, according to social media posts, attended the event to support his fellow countryman Shavkat Rakhmonov.

Dvalishvili believes there is more to the story, however, as photos of Tugaev with upcoming title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov were posted to the fighter’s Instagram Stories after the event. There are also past photos with Tugaev and other members of the team, including Khabib Nurmagomedov.

“This was just Dagestani’s dirty trick and provocation,” the voice in the video said.

After the conclusion of UFC 310, promotion CEO Dana White was asked about Dvalishvili’s recent temperament.

“He’s my mini (Sean) Strickland without the mouth,” White told reporters during a UFC 310 post-event news conference. “What do you do? Let him buy the pay-per-view, I guess. I don’t know. You can’t keep fighting with f*cking fans. It’s going to cost you a lot, you can do it. It’s going to cost you a lot of money, right?”

At the time of writing, it is unclear if there will be any legal repercussions for the altercation.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

UFC 310: Champ Merab Dvalishvili restrained, Dennis Buzukja punches fan in wild altercation

Punches were thrown during an altercation at UFC 310 with a fan, UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili and teammate Dennis Buzukja.

UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] was a part of another UFC 310 fight week incident, this time with teammate and UFC fighter [autotag]Dennis Buzukja[/autotag], who punched a fan.

Following former champion Aljamain Sterling’s unanimous decision loss to Movsar Evloev, Dvalishvili and Buzukja got into it with a fan as they were returning backstage.

A portion of the incident was captured on video and shared on social media by Inside Fighting. The video begins with Dvalishvili being restrained by UFC security. Buzukja, holding his corner gear in his left hand, is seen throwing punches at a fan with his right before being pulled away by security.

Check out video of the incident below (via X, formerly Twitter):

At the time of writing, it is unclear what sparked the altercation.

Dvalishvili was also involved in an incident Friday before a UFC 311 on-sale press conference and the UFC 310 ceremonial weigh-ins. Security was required to separate the champ and his upcoming UFC 311 title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov as they got into a heated argument backstage.

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‘You’re a piece of sh*t’: UFC 311 co-headliners Merab Dvalishvili, Umar Nurmagomedov argue title merit

Watch Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov get into a heated argument at Friday’s UFC 311 press conference.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] and [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] got into it on Friday night.

Not only did the two have a lot to say backstage prior to their UFC 311 press conference in Las Vegas, but also during. Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) and Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) got into a heated argument and stole most of the attention, as the two went back and forth over the merit of Nurmagomedov’s title shot scheduled to go down on Jan. 18 in Los Angeles.

“I’m going to fight Umar and is going to be a tough fight,” Dvalishvili said at the presser. “As a fighter, he’s a good fighter, but he don’t earn like everybody else. He don’t go through, like you know. You have to fight the best, and he only fought no-wrestling Sandhagen. Yeah, he’s a good fighter, but you have to fight everybody to prove, but I give people what they want, and I give UFC what they want.”

Nurmagomedov fired back, citing the main event of Saturday’s UFC 310, which features a flyweight championship fight where Kai Asakura will be challenging champion Alexandre Pantoja in his octagon debut.

“Kai Asakura fighting for the title in his debut fight. Who cares?”, Nurmagomedov said. “Who cares about deverse or no deserve.”

Dvalishvili interrupted almost immediately, bringing up some of the things Nurmagomedov said online in recent weeks – which haven’t sat well with the UFC bantamweight champion.

“Be a man first,” Dvalishvili said. “You’re a good fighter, but not a good man. You’re a piece of sh*t. You lost respect as a man for me. Real men don’t talk trash online.”

Nurmagomedov stood his ground and said he’s only spoken facts.

“Tell everybody what I said about your personality,” Nurmagomedov said. “I just described your behavior. You tried to avoid me, you don’t even mention my name.”

You can watch their full back and forth in the replay of the press conference above.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

Photos: UFC 311 on-sale press conference

Check out these photos from the UFC 311 press conference with Islam Makhachev, Arman Tsarukyan, Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov.

Check out these photos from the UFC 311 on-sale press conference with [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag], [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag], [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] and [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag], which took place at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas prior to the UFC 310 ceremonial weigh-ins. (Photos by Nolan King, MMA Junkie)