Merab Dvalishvili looks to take Umar Nurmagomedov’s zero at UFC 311

“Merab came into the office late last night, told us that he is tired of listening to Umar disrespect him and wanted to make this fight happen as soon as possible,” White said in a video posted on X. “We called Umar. He was sleeping in Dagestan, and he said ‘Hell yes; anywhere, anytime.’”

Dvalishvili had been reluctant to accept the fight, casting doubt on White’s narrative. Just a week ago, The Machine released a video making a strong case against facing the undefeated Nurmagomedov — currently the No. 2 bantamweight contender — based on the Dagestani’s weak resume.

The Georgian seemingly preferred a rematch against Sean O’Malley or Petr Yan. Both are former bantamweight champions who fell to Dvalishvili via unanimous decision.

Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov has just six UFC fights in his 18-0 record. Only one of those six fights pitted him against a top-ranked opponent (Cory Sandhagen).

However, "The Machine’s" opposition to the Nurmagomedov fight must have been a negotiation tactic. That, or the UFC made an offer he couldn’t refuse. Either way, the title bout is set, and Dvalishvili now has to back up his claims about Nurmagomedov’s inexperience with a dominant showing.

If Dvalishvili can defend his title on Jan. 18, then he can then look forward to fighting a familiar face. After a possible title eliminator between O’Malley and Yan, fans will gladly pay to watch Dvalishvili rematch either fighter.