Umar Nurmagomedov came up short on the judges' scorecard on Sunday at UFC 311 against Merab Dvalishvili. The UFC Bantamweight title fight went down to the wire, and after five rounds of intense action, Merab was announced as "still the undisputed champion." Much like his brother Khabib Nurmagomedov, Umar was also undefeated ahead of the fight. However, after 18 straight wins the junior Nurmagomedov has sustained a loss. Following the culmination of the match, several opinions flowed on the internet regarding the result, and as the dust settled, Umar has shared his views on his loss.
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Umar Nurmagomedov Suffers Maiden Loss
The Merab Dvalishvili vs Umar Nurmagomedov was the much-touted fight and unanimously became the fight of the night. Veteran commentator Joe Rogan, who witnessed the contest up close, hailed the fight as one of the best that has come out from the Bantamweight division.
In the buildup to the UFC 311, Umar Nurmagomedov was considered a tough fight for Merab and entered the Octagon with the favorite's tag. In an anticlimax, Merab's cardio and takedown ability proved to be too much for Nurmagomedov to overcome. Thus, Dvalishvili cemented his reign and walked out of the Octagon with pride.
Umar Nurmagomedov Opens Up After Losing To Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311
A day after the fight, Umar Nurmagomedov issued his first statement after suffering the first loss of his career. In a brief note, the Russian has stated that in his opinion he did not lose the fight, however, will not give any excuses for the final result. He further highlighted that he would come back from this and will keep working to attain the eminent UFC strap.
“There are no excuses,” Nurmagomedov wrote. “InshaAllah, I will become the champion. The rest is not important. Praise Allah in any situation.
“And I don’t think I’ve lost this battle if even the whole world will convince me otherwise. Deal with the injuries and get back on track.”