Dana White reveals behind the scenes and tells how Merab Dvalishvili 'demanded' a fight against Umar Nurmagomedov

Merab Dvalishvili during an interview in the octagon at UFC 306. Photo: Reproduction/UFC/YouTube

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While the announcement of the title fight between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan as the main event of UFC 311 didn't surprise many people, the same cannot be said of the co-main event, featuring the duel between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov for the bantamweight title (up to 61,2 kg).

Responsible for the announcements on the night of last Wednesday (4), Dana White revealed, in a video published on UFC social networks, the behind the scenes of the negotiation. According to the president, the fight was confirmed urgently after Merab's request and Umar's prompt acceptance.

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“Merab came into my office late last night and told us that he is tired of Usmar disrespecting him and that he wants to make this fight as soon as possible. We called Umar (Nurmagomedov), he was sleeping in Dagestan, but he said yes, anywhere and anytime,” the president said.

Merab Dvalishvili is seeking his first title defense approximately four months after winning the bantamweight belt with a dominant victory over Sean O'Malley at UFC 306 in September. The Georgian has amassed an impressive 11 consecutive wins and hasn't lost since April 2018.

Umar Nurmagomedov , the Georgian's first title challenger, is ranked second in the bantamweight division and is undefeated in his professional career, with 18 wins in 18 fights, the last six of which were in the UFC octagon, the most recent against Cory Sandhagen in August.

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