Umar Nurmagomedov Praises Merab Dvalishvili: 'Just Brute Force'

Umar Nurmagomedov picks Merab Dvalishvili to still be champion by the end of the year 🦾🇬🇪

"I've hit Merab clean myself — he didn't even flinch. Tough guy. He's really hard to knock out. He's got cardio for days, and he's just got brute strength. It's not like he's got advanced… pic.twitter.com/dh0AuObotY

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) June 15, 2025

Umar Nurmagomedov believes it’s unlikely that Merab Dvalishvili will be dethroned anytime soon. 

Dvalishvili made his first bantamweight title defense against Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 this past January. While Nurmagomedov was widely considered to be the toughest challenge in the division for Dvalishvili, the champ spoiled the challenger’s undefeated record. Dvalishvili has since submitted Sean O’Malley in a rematch at UFC 316 earlier this month. 

Nurmagomedov believes Dvalishvili is hard to beat in every way, even by a puncher’s chance — because Nurmagomedov landed flush on him when they fought and was unable to draw any reaction. Nurmagomedov notes that Dvalishvili is just a sheer force of nature with unusual power and cardio. 

Nurmagomedov believes Dvalishvili doesn’t even have elite grappling skills but makes up for it with pure pressure. With Cory Sandhagen expected to be next in line for a title shot, Nurmagomedov wonders how his former fallen foe will handle “The Machine.”

“I’ve hit Merab clean myself, he didn’t even flinch. Tough guy,” Nurmagomeov told Adam Zubayraev. “I feel like he’s really hard to knock out. So yeah, I think Merab might be [still champion at the end of the year]. If he doesn’t retire before the rematch [with me], he might be champion. Because he’s got cardio for days and that kind of raw power. He’s just got brute strength. He wrestles with pure pressure; he doesn’t even need to hold you. It’s not like he’s got advanced grappling skills or anything. No control, no submissions. Just brute force. He can’t even hold people down properly. Just overwhelms them. Don’t know how Cory will handle that.”

Sandhagen’s only loss in the past four outings has come against Nurmagomedov. While he is expected to be the next contender, Dana White also entertained the idea of a rematch between Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov. Meanwhile, Dvalishvili is in the midst of a 13-fight winning streak.