Merab Dvalishvili Prefers Deiveson Figueiredo Over Umar Nurmagomedov as Suitable Bantamweight Title Challenger
Merab Dvalishvili favors Deiveson Figueiredo over Umar Nurmagomedov as a more fitting bantamweight title challenger.
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Merab Dvalishvili does not think Umar Nurmagomedov is credible enough for a title shot. Currently, the cousin of the legendary UFC champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, is aiming to clinch the bantamweight title. Having defeated Cory Sandhagen recently, Umar has issued a warning to both Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili. In a recent interview with Helen Yee, Dvalishvili put forward his opinions about Umar Nurmagomedov’s recent victory.
Dvalishvili started by praising the recent matchup between the two and congratulating Umar on his victory. However, he then went on to claim that the Cory Sandhagen fight was a ‘gift from the UFC.’ Coinciding with the upcoming Sean O’Malley fight as his main focus, Dvalishvili stated that he will be ready to face whoever the UFC throws at him next. Interestingly, the Georgian fighter then tried to undermine Umar’s feat by stating that, according to him, David Figuerdo deserved a title shot more than Umar.
Dvalishvili stated, “I think Figueiredo deserve more because he beat former champion and he beat Chito. He dominated Chito. Figueiredo, he is big name.” Well, this was an interesting take on the bantamweight title scenario, as Umar Nurmagomedov has been a dominant force ever since he stepped foot into the UFC. Going undefeated till now, his recent dominance over Cory Sandhagen has been lauded by fans and critics alike.
And while Dvalishvili thinks Umar is undeserving of a title shot so early on in his career, Khabib’s cousin has some words of resentment towards both Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili. Initially, the Dagestani verbally attacked the UFC bantamweight champion by stating that Umar feels ‘ashamed’ at O’ Malley being the champion. The Dagestani fighter said that becoming a man does not always mean earning a lot of money in life.
He pointed out that an individual with good values and moral qualities qualifies as a true ‘gentleman’, which O’Malley is not. Khabib’s cousin next proceeded to launch a warning to the UFC Sphere main eventers. Threatening to take all the limelight away from the duo, Umar Nurmagomedov promised to ‘smash’ O’Malley and Dvalishvili next. Well, in order to do that, Khabib’s cousin will have to wait until the bantamweight championship match at The Sphere is done and dusted.
Interestingly, Sean O’Malley too, is not lagging behind in the verbal dig race and has promised to ‘whoop’ Umar Nurmagomedov. The champion further stated that beating a Dagestani fighter will be all the more satisfying since it will make Conor McGregor ‘jealous’. Thus, with shots being fired from everyone, the UFC bantamweight title scenario looks quite interesting. It is now time to see who comes on top next.
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