Umar Nurmagomedov is predicting a ‘mauling’ in Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan 2

Umar Nurmagomedov expects Petr Yan to be in ‘big trouble’ if he can’t KO Merab Dvalishvili

Umar Nurmagomedov knows Dvalishvili’s talents all too well, having fallen to his first career defeat against the champ at UFC 311 this past January.

While he looks to stake his claim for a rematch of his own by stalling Mario Bautista’s charge at UFC 321, the Dagestani recently predicted Dvalishvili’s next assignment.

“From the last fight with Petr Yan, Merab became much better,” Nurmagomedov said on the Weighing In podcast. “The last fight with Cory Sandhagen showed he’s gonna wrestle all night, and it’s very big trouble for Petr Yan.

“He doesn’t have good defense, but he has good arms and he can (get knockouts).

“But if it’s not going to be a TKO, I think Merab is gonna maul Petr,” he added.

Petr Yan suggested Umar Nurmagomedov was handed opportunities because of Khabib

It’s perhaps unsurprising that Nurmagomedov is not rallying behind his fellow Russian star as he gears up to run it back with Dvalishvili.

The pair don’t seem to get on, evidenced by Yan suggesting Umar’s success is down to Khabib Nurmagomedov, his older cousin.

“Well, Umar lost his last fight, he hasn’t had a single fight yet since, they have the option to wait and not train at all, it could be a year, six months,” Yan told Ushatayka earlier this year.

“I need to act, to work, to pave the way for myself with my labor. Neither my brother nor my sisters have given me anything.”