Merab Dvalishvili Defeats Umar Nurmagomedov in Early Fight of The Year Contender – UFC 311 Results (Highlights)

'The Machine' outpaced Nurmagomedov for five rounds, securing his first defense of the bantamweight title.

Merab Dvalishvili Defeats Umar Nurmagomedov In Early Fight Of The Year Contender Ufc 311 Results Highlights
Courtesy of @UFCNews on X

Four months removed from his world title-winning performance against Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, reigning bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili is putting his gold on the line against No. 2 ranked contender, Umar Nurmagomedov. 

The undefeated Dagestani sensation earned his opportunity to challenge ‘The Machine’ at UFC 311 via a dominant unanimous decision victory over Cory Sandhagen in August. The win moved Nurmagomedov to 18-0 in his mixed martial arts career and skyrocketed him toward the top of the rankings, setting the stage for an intense showdown that has proven to be more personal than professional. 

Round 1

Both fighters come out and spend much of the first 90 seconds sizing up one another. Nurmagomedov is the first to unleash a combination, landing with a stiff backhand. Merab fires back with a left near the cage before they separate and re-center. Merab lands with a big overhand hand and Nurmagomedov responds with a front kick to the body. Merab moves in and once again finds his range inside, landing a combination. Merab throws once again and already has Nurmagomedov bleeding. 

Merab looks to land another combo and Nurmagomedov shoots for a single leg. Merab stays upright and frees his leg from Nurmagomedov’s grasp. Nurmagomedov again shoots for a takedown, but Merab defends and separates. Merab lands a kick to the lead leg of his opponent as Nurmagomedov fires a left to the body. Nurmagomedov connects with a big right hand that has Merab backing away with 10 seconds to go. Nurmagomedov opts to let the clock run out rather than rushing in and trying to capitalize. 

Round 2

Merab comes out with a right hand and Nurmagomedov counters. Nurmagomedov is starting to let all of his weapons fly, throwing back-to-back high kicks in close. Merab nearly makes him pay with a right hand in return. Merab appears to shoot in for his first takedown of the fight, but Nurmagomedov easily fends it off. Nurmagomedov shoots for a takedown and muscles down Merab near the fence, taking his back in the process. Nurmagomedov gets one hook in, but Merab is out of danger for the moment. Merab gets upright and breaks the grip, allowing him to separate from Nurmagomedov. 

Nurmagomedov lands a knee up the middle and shoots in another takedown, but Merab defends. Merab tries to go for his own single-leg takedown, but Nurmagomedov shakes him off. Merab clinches up, locking his hands around the back of Nurmagomedov against the fence. Nurmagomedov’s strength allows him to fight his way off the fence and separate from Merab.

Nurmagomedov launches a right hand that gets through the guard of Merab. With the clock winding down, Nurmagomedov looks to land a big shot, but can’t pin down the Dagestani long enough to make it happen. 

Round 3

Merab looks for an early takedown in the third round and momentarily gets Nurmagomedov to the mat, but can’t keep him there. Both fighters land counter shots during an exchange and Nurmagomedov follows it up with a stiff kick to the body. Merab shoots in for another takedown, but Nurmagomedov defends it. Merab looks to shoot again, prompting Nurmagomedov to sprawl and the fighters clash heads. Fortunately, nobody is injured and the fight continues without interruption. Merab moves in but eats a combination from Nurmagomedov as we approach the three-minute mark of the round. 

Merab moves forward and throws a combination, but finds himself defending a takedown attempt from Nurmagomedov. After breaking Nurmagomedov’s grip, he goes for his own takedown and gets the Dagestani down, but Nurmagomedov uses his legs to kick Merab off him and get back to his feet. Nurmagomedov fires a head kick that gets blocked. Nurmagomedov lands a calf kick and then shoots for a single leg. Nurmagomedov gets Merab down, but ‘The Machine’ pops back up and showboats to the crowd until the round comes to an end. 

Round 4

Merab feints an overhand right and goes for a single leg, but Nurmagomedov sees it coming and breaks away before hitting the mat. Merab shoots in once again and this time, he succeeds in getting Nurmagomedov down, but can’t keep him there for more than a few seconds. Merab goes for yet another takedown and like before, can only keep the challenger for a moment. 

Merab rips to the body and Nurmagomedov’s movements are starting to look labored. Merab lands a counter right hand as he continues to dictate the pace in the championship rounds. Merab connects with another nice right hand and then shoots for a takedown. Merab can’t finish it and quickly walks away. Another right hand from ‘The Machine’ lands. Merab swings big and Nurmagomedov switches levels, but can’t muster the strength to put the champ on the mat. Merab is starting to run away with the round as he scores a takedown against the fence. 

Nurmagomedov looks like he’s running on empty as he uses everything he has to climb back up. Merab makes him pay with a couple of shots against the fence as the fourth-round horn sounds. 

Round 5

Nurmagomedov comes out sucking wind while Merab plays to the crowd and looks like he can go another five rounds. Nurmagomedov lands a glancing left hand, but Merab keeps him on his back foot with a relentless pace. Merab connects with a nice right hand that allows him to enter for a single leg. Nurmagomedov defends, but Merab gets right back to it, tying up Nurmagomedov against the cage wall. Merab breaks away, throwing on the exit. 

Nurmagomedov fires a kick to the body and tries for a labored takedown attempt, but Merab defends it with ease. Nurmagomedov lands a couple of stiff kicks to the body. Merab shoots for a single-leg, but can’t finish it as we approach 90 seconds in the fight. Nurmagomedov lands another kick to the body. Merab catches Nurmagomedov with a vicious right hand that pops the Dagestani’s head back. Merab seizes the moment by taking Nurmagomedov down to the mat and controlling him on the mat until the clock runs out. 

Official Result: Merab Dvalishvili def. Umar Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)

Check Out Highlights From Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311: 

Published on January 19, 2025 at 12:38 am
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