Merab Dvalishvili says he was barred from the Performance Institute because of Nurmagomedov

Fighter rekindles theory of favoritism towards the Russian who reached the belt dispute without having faced former champions

Merab Dvalishvili UFC 306 Instagram UFC 2

Merab Dvalishvili is the UFC bantamweight champion (Photo: Instagram/UFC)

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Denied entry? That's right… Merab Dvalishvili has another reason to champion his theory that Umar Nurmagomedov has been receiving privileges in the UFC. According to the champion, he was simply denied access to the organization's Performance Institute this Monday (23). In a video posted on his Instagram account, the Georgian complained about the situation.

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Merab Dvalishvili is the new UFC champion
Merab Dvalishvili in an interview in the UFC 306 octagon. Photo: Reproduction/UFC/YouTube
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“I’m here in front of UFC IP and security won’t let me in because they said ‘ Umar Nurmagomedov is inside,’ and they’re protecting him . Don’t worry, guys. I’m not going to crush him before the fight. But on January 18th, the story is different… I can’t get into UFC IP. I should be getting treatment for my injury, I should be signing some cards, I should be having lunch with my friends…” the fighter lamented.

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The bantamweight champion (up to 61,2 kg) didn't stop there. Merab took advantage of the publication to provoke Umar and make promises regarding their confrontation scheduled for the first pay-per-view of 2025.

“ I’m going to crush this guy because of all the disrespect, all the lies he’s been telling. You better show up, Umar. Today you’re protected. Don’t worry, I won’t punch you before the fight. January 18th, nobody will protect you,” Dvalishvili exclaimed.

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Troubled scheduling

Merab Dvalishvili will make his first title defense against Umar Nurmagomedov in Las Vegas. The opponent is not at all liked by the titleholder. Although the Russian is ranked second, the champion has publicly maintained for some time that Umar doesn't deserve a title fight. In Merab's opinion, his opponent hasn't faced ranked opponents enough to be so highly placed, and the organization gave him the opportunity as a bonus.

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