Merab Dvalishvili faces Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on January 18. The newly crowned bantamweight champion puts his 135 lbs title on the line.
Dvalishvili (18-4) claimed the belt last September when he challenged Sean O’Malley atop the UFC 306 fight card at Sphere in Las Vegas. The 33-year-old mixed martial artist from Georgia defeated the defending champion from Helena, Montana, by unanimous decision. After five rounds, the scores were 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47.
Battling it out in the co-main event of UFC 311: Makhachev vs Tsarukyan 2, Merab Dvalishvili makes the first defense of his strap and aims for his 12th straight victory. He is opposed by unbeaten 29-year-old Umar Nurmagomedov (18-0), who makes his first attempt to become champion. The latter won the title eliminator by UD against Cory Sandhagen last August.