Merab Dvalishvili raises his voice and criticizes the way Khabib's cousin got his UFC title shot

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

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Merab Dvalishvili insists that the next challenger to his UFC title does not deserve a chance to fight for the bantamweight belt (up to 61,3 kg). The Georgian, who defends his belt in the co-main event of UFC 311 against Umar Nurmagomedov, thinks his rival hasn't done enough to deserve the opportunity.

Merab, who needed a 10-fight winning streak to earn his title shot, said in an interview with ESPN that while he recognizes the talent of Umar Nurmagomedov, he doesn't believe the fighter has worked hard enough to deserve a title shot. The Georgian stressed that he worked hard to get there, while Nurmagomedov, in his view, had an easier path.

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“Umar is a good fighter. It’s going to be a big challenge, but he didn’t deserve it like the rest of us. We all know we worked hard to get here, I didn’t get it easy, but somehow he got it easy. He keeps complaining all the time that no one wants to fight him, but there are so many good fighters. He has the mario bautista, other fighters who are killers. He only fought Sandhagen without wrestling, and he uses this excuse that he beat the number 2, and now he's here. It's going to be a great challenge, but the only thing I hate is that he didn't deserve it like UFC fighters should deserve, and he's just arrogant,” said Merab.

Merab Dvalishvili recognizes the difficulty of the UFC title challenge

Although I think that Umar Nurmagomedov don't deserve the title shot, Merab Dvalishvili recognizes the talent of the Dagestani fighter and takes the fight seriously. The champion knows that it will be a difficult and unpredictable challenge, especially since he is a new opponent, with outstanding skills in kicks, striking and wrestling. Merab is aware of Nurmagomedov's qualities and understands that this fight will be a great test for him.

“The fight is going to be really tough and it’s a big, big challenge for me because it’s a new face and yes, he’s a good fighter,” “He’s good with kicks, striking, wrestling, and it’s a new challenge.”, he concluded. Merab Dvalishvili.