Dvalishvili will also need to be mindful inside of scrambles given his propensity to expose his back when returning to standing positions. As Nurmagomedov has already shown in the octagon, the Dagestani fighter is incredibly systematic and effective when it comes to breaking down his opponents from rear mount and riding positions.

UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili went back to work a little quicker than anybody anticipated, returning from a title win in September to a title defense against Umar Nurmagomedov this Saturday at UFC 311 - and Umar's cousin Khabib believes he knows why.

For all of the chaos that Merab Dvalishvili typically brings to the Octagon in the form of his endless cardio, spamming wrestling attack and constant forward pressure, his critics are starting to wonder whether the Georgian star is causing too much of it for his own good outside of the cage,

The first title fight of 2025 is set after Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov made weight Friday for UFC 311.

Jari Prochazka versus Jamahal Hill is the pick of the fights from the rest of the undercard, with betting apps pricing the American at 8/11 to get the win, while Kevin Holland’s middleweight contest against Reinier de Ridder will attract some interest too.

Champions Islam Makhachev and Merab Dvalishvili will be wearing their own personalized fight shorts when they enter the cage for their matchups at UFC 311.

Din Thomas doesn't see Umar Nurmagomedov being the one to dethrone UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) defends his bantamweight title against Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA,

Merab Dvalishvili has given his opinion on Umar Nurmagomedov's injury claims ahead of their UFC bantamweight championship fight at UFC 311.