Khabib: Umar Nurmagomedov will expose 'nervous' Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311

Khabib Nurmagomedov defends Umar Nurmagomedov’s title shot at UFC 311.

Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) challenges bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) in the Jan. 18 co-main event (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.

Dvalishvili was never sold on Nurmagomedov as the No. 1 contender and wanted more time to prepare for his first title defense. His discontent was evident during the recent UFC 311 pre-fight press conference, and Nurmagomedov thinks the pressure of being champion has already gotten to “The Machine.”

“This is his problem, Merab’s problem,” Nurmagomedov said in a recent press conference (h/t Red Corner MMA). “I think when he was beginning his career, he was acting good. When he became champion, he cannot deal with this because life changing. Before champion and after champion there is two life. You have to deal with this.

“About Umar (getting a) gift, Umar is 18-0, and he’s on a six-fight win streak in the UFC, and they gave him a very tough opponent in his last fight, five-round main event vs. Cory Sandhagen. I think Umar deserve. I don’t know why Merab nervous. Umar here not because he is my cousin. He’s here because he’s 18-0 and 6-0 in the UFC. Umar wants to create his legacy. He will show January 18. He will show why Merab nervous.”

Dvalishvili’s complaints stem from the fact that Nurmagomedov only has one ranked win en route to a title shot – a unanimous decision against Cory Sandhagen in the UFC on ABC 7 headliner in August.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.