Merab: ‘Disrespectful’ Umar a ‘spoiled little baby’ coasting on Nurmagomedov name ahead of UFC 311

Jesse Holland is among the longest-tenured media professionals in the combat sports news space, covering MMA, professional wrestling and boxing on a full-time basis since early 2004.

Umar may have the same last name as Khabib Nurmagomedov, but he won’t hold the same undefeated record.

That’s because newly-crowned bantamweight champion, Merab Dvalishvili, plans to hand the No. 2-ranked contender the first loss of his professional career when they collide in the UFC 311 pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event on Jan. 18 in Los Angeles.

Assuming the city is still standing.

“I’m just going to make him humble,” Dvalishvili told The Schmo. “I think Umar is spoiled little baby. He’s been disrespectful. I don’t want to talk. I just want do it, you know? January 18, I’m just going to prove it. I’m working really hard, and you guys know, every time I fight against top contenders, I make them look easy. So, I think I will do the same again.”

Umar opened as the odds-on betting favorite.

“I’m going to look for the finish, but I’m not saying nothing. All I want is to win, beat him because he is 18-and-0, which is undefeated,” Dvalishvili continued. “He was never defeated before. He is like amateur world champion, Russian champion, Dagestan champion, sambo champion. He’s Khabib’s cousin and his brother. Khabib never lost before. I will be the first who gives him loss.”

That feat could make “The Machine” the greatest of all time.

Dvalishvili, 33, bumped his record to 18-4 — and captured the 135-pound crown — with a dominant performance over Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 inside Sphere last fall. As for Nurmagomedov, 28, he improved to 18-0 by defeating Cory Sandhagen atop the UFC Abu Dhabi fight card last August.

To see who else is fighting at UFC 311 click here.