UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili went back to work a little quicker than anybody anticipated, returning from a title win in September to a title defense against Umar Nurmagomedov this Saturday at UFC 311 - and Umar's cousin Khabib believes he knows why.

For all of the chaos that Merab Dvalishvili typically brings to the Octagon in the form of his endless cardio, spamming wrestling attack and constant forward pressure, his critics are starting to wonder whether the Georgian star is causing too much of it for his own good outside of the cage,

Henry Cejudo gave Umar Nurmagomedov some insight ahead of UFC 311. Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) challenges bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) in Saturday’s co-main event (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Disney+, ESPN+) at Intuit Dome.

He’s mad, he’s insulted, and he’s feeling disrespected — the perfect combination that makes the reigning UFC bantamweight champ unstoppable.

Aljamain Sterling thinks the odds are in Merab Dvalishvili's favor to beat Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) defends his bantamweight title against Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA,

Merab Dvalishvili holds the strap, but Umar Nurmagomedov will put an end to his title reign. The UFC bantamweight title is on the line in the first of two title defenses on the UFC 311 card as champion Merab Dvalishvili makes the first defense of his title against the dangerous Umar Nurmagomedov.

😬Khabib thinks the UFC made Merab Dvalishvili accept the fight with Umar Nurmagomedov: “I believe the UFC… pressured [Merab] and made him fight [Umar]… The UFC needed a co-main event fight, that’s my personal opinion.” 🎥 YT Gorilla Fighting ▫️ pic.twitter.com/2nFxkVFD27

UFC 311 has finally reached an apex and we're set for a betting prediction and pick as we decide the Co-Main Event. The Bantamweight (135) Title will be on the line as Champion Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia will take on No. 2 Umar Nurmagomedov of Dagestan. Check the UFC odds series for our Dvalishvili-Nurmagomedov prediction and pick.

Dvalishvili will also need to be mindful inside of scrambles given his propensity to expose his back when returning to standing positions. As Nurmagomedov has already shown in the octagon, the Dagestani fighter is incredibly systematic and effective when it comes to breaking down his opponents from rear mount and riding positions.

Following a massive weigh-in day shakeup, UFC 311 finally goes down tonight (January 18) at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. CA.

Records: Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC), Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) Past five: Dvalishvili 4-1, Nurmagomedov 5-0 Division: Bantamweight Rankings: Dvalishvili No. 1, No. 12 pound-for-pound; Nurmagomedov No. 5 Odds (as of 01.17.25): Dvalishvili +205, Nurmagomedov -250 Junkie pick results: Nurmagomedov 9, Dvalishvili 2