Umar Nurmagomedov Demands Merab Rematch After 1st Career Loss, Regardless of UFC 333 Result
Updated
Updated · MMA Junkie · Aug 25
Umar Nurmagomedov Demands Merab Rematch After 1st Career Loss, Regardless of UFC 333 Result
3 articles · Updated · MMA Junkie · Aug 25
Summary
Umar Nurmagomedov said he wants to fight Merab Dvalishvili next whether Dvalishvili wins or loses his Oct. 24 trilogy bout with Petr Yan at UFC 333.
Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 286 main event in Shanghai comes first for Nurmagomedov, who said he must beat Song Yadong before any rematch can happen.
The 30-year-old framed the feud as personal after Dvalishvili’s recent altercation in Georgia with Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov, a friend of Nurmagomedov, saying it now matters to “all of Dagestan.”
That demand builds on UFC 311 in January 2025, when Dvalishvili handed Nurmagomedov his first loss by unanimous decision in a bantamweight title fight in Los Angeles.
A rematch could come with or without a belt: Nurmagomedov expects Yan to beat Dvalishvili again, but said Dvalishvili reclaiming the 135-pound title would make revenge even better.