Khabib Nurmagomedov is eager to see Umar Nurmagomedov, his cousin, step into the ring with Merab Dvalishvili for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight title. Umar, after triumphing over Cory Sandhagen in the UFC on ABC 7’s main bout in Abu Dhabi, is now staking his claim as the top contender.
He anticipates fighting the victor of the upcoming title bout, headlining UFC 306, between the current bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and Dvalishvili, scheduled for September 14 at Sphere in Las Vegas. ‘Merab, hailing from Georgia, is my preference,’ Umar disclosed in an interview during a UFC event.
‘Given our shared borders, Dagestan, and Georgia make us neighbors. I’m rooting for Merab’s victory since it promises an exciting and riveting match. O’Malley is sure to face stiff competition, and fans worldwide will certainly feast their eyes on a top-tier fight,’ Umar delineated.
It’s far from a walk in the park to defeat either Umar or his potential opponents, Merab or Sean O’Malley. They’re all elite fighters, implying that any outcome is possible. Still, in my view, Umar is more than prepared. His recent victory has made him step up the ladder and we are excited to see his growth. He is, after all, only 28 and constantly enhancing his skills.
Dvalishvili boasts an unbeaten record in his last ten UFC bouts. This impressive streak includes winning battles against ex-champions such as Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, and Henry Cejudo. O’Malley earned his championship title by flooring Dvalishvili’s teammate, Aljamain Sterling. He then successfully defended his title for the first time in UFC 299 by overwhelming Marlon Vera in March.
Cory Sandhagen, after his recent defeat against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC on ABC 7, acclaimed him as the future UFC champion by stating, ‘he’s incredibly talented.’ There has been some disappointment following Umar’s debut UFC main event, as he was expected to outclass Sandhagen on the ground.
The social media has been buzzing with positive reactions to Umar Nurmagomedov’s victory over Cory Sandhagen at UFC on ABC 7. The other fighters were exhilarated by his win. For more detailed information about this tournament, MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 7 serves as a comprehensive resource.
This news was originally reported on MMA Junkie. As for Khabib’s pick for who he would like his cousin Umar Nurmagomedov to face for the UFC title, it’s between Sean O’Malley or Merab Dvalishvili.