Merab Dvalishvili calls out Nurmagomedov’s injury claims

Merab Dvalishvili has cast doubt on Umar Nurmagomedov’s claims of an arm injury ahead of their bantamweight title bout at UFC 311 this Saturday in Las Vegas.

Nurmagomedov recently revealed he had been nursing the injury since November 2024 but felt fit enough to accept the fight against Dvalishvili.

However, Dvalishvili dismissed the story as fabrication, accusing Nurmagomedov of making excuses.

“He’s just talking nonsense,” said Dvalishvili.

“I’m not buying it. He said he has an injury, but I’ve seen him hitting the bag with no issues in his training videos. If your arm is injured, you wouldn’t be able to punch like that.”

Dvalishvili, the defending champion and a +250 underdog according to top UFC sportsbooks, questioned Nurmagomedov’s rise through the division.

Despite a notable victory over Cory Sandhagen, Dvalishvili suggested that other fighters, such as Mario Bautista, were more deserving of a title shot.

“The fight against Sandhagen was good, but before that, Umar wasn’t fighting any ranked guys,” Dvalishvili said.

“Meanwhile, Bautista is on a seven-fight win streak and has earned it more.”

Nurmagomedov, slightly favoured at -333.33 for the fight, remains confident despite the controversy.

The bout is part of an exciting UFC 311 card, which also features Islam Makhachev defending his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan.

Makhachev is a heavy favorite to retain his belt, with odds as low as -400 at the top online casinos.

The Dvalishvili-Nurmagomedov showdown is set to determine the direction of the bantamweight division, with Dvalishvili aiming to prove his dominance against the rising Nurmagomedov.

The clash of styles and personalities promises to deliver a thrilling contest.

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