Earlier this week, UFC President Dana White revealed some exciting matchups for UFC 311, including title bouts between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan, and Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov.
To build more hype, a special press conference was held on Friday with all four fighters. Since Merab won his title in September, he and the undefeated Nurmagomedov have been trading barbs online, raising the excitement for their upcoming bantamweight title fight.
Merab Dvalishvili’s Jacuzzi Joke Sends the Nurmagomedov Team Into a Tizzy
Before their anticipated showdown at UFC 311 in California on January 18, the tension between the fighters grew as they exchanged harsh words on stage.
Fortunately for Nurmagomedov, his teammate Makhachev was there, staying calm and respectful while facing Tsarukyan.
However, Tsarukyan tried to drag Makhachev into his ongoing dispute with Nurmagomedov by bringing up an old photo that had caused issues for Team Khabib before.
When a reporter asked Makhachev about his best moment with Umar, Makhachev responded…
“The same night we fight for the title, that’s the best moment.”
“How about the jacuzzi?” Dvalishvili replied in a humorous manner.
“You can come,” Makhachev told the bantamweight champion.
“I was not there, and you have to talk about your fight, not something else. Focus on your fight, Merab,” Nurmagomedov said.
“I want to say just one thing, I don’t have nothing for you Merab, just respect, don’t make the belt look bad you know, when you have some real contender, just fight,” Makhachev told Merab.
A reporter asked Umar Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev what their best moment together is:
Merab: “How about jacuzzi, jacuzzi!”
Islam: “You can come.”
Umar: “I was not there.” 😭
🎥 @UFC #UFC311 #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/WaMA7kA5pu
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 7, 2024
Islam Makhachev sends a message to fellow champ Merab Dvalishvili that stirs the pot with Umar Nurmagomedov 😬 #UFC311 pic.twitter.com/9qtgN1HqPM
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) December 6, 2024
The “jacuzzi” moment Dvalishvili mentioned happened a few years ago. At that time, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev, and some of their teammates were all in a jacuzzi together. It became a funny and memorable moment for everyone.
After a tense back-and-forth at the press conference, things got even more heated between Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov backstage. Dana White stepped in, bringing in heavy security to make sure the two couldn’t get too close.
Once they were backstage, Dvalishvili kept the tension going, saying he would call Nurmagomedov to meet outside. The rivalry seemed far from over.
