Previous UFC Champion Expresses Belief in Unfair Treatment Towards Merab Dvalishvili

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Previous UFC Champion Expresses Belief in Unfair Treatment Towards Merab Dvalishvili

When UFC's bantamweight title holder Merab Dvalishvili faces off against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 on January 18, he'll be approximately four months removed from securing the title at Noche UFC in September.

According to Dvalishvili's close friend and training partner, former 135-pound champion Aljamain Sterling, the champion was hastily pushed into the title defense.

"This match is being scheduled in just around six weeks—maybe six and a half," Sterling mentioned on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "I understand the necessity for such a quick turnaround if you're the challenger, but as the champion, you shouldn't have to put up with these constraints. It just doesn't seem fair. It leaves a sour taste in your mouth, like, 'Why did I work so hard to reach this position, only to have my authority questioned?'"

Let's take a look at the entire interview.

Indeed, champions ought to be given the right to hold the dominant role in negotiations. However, it seems like Dvalishvili may have been provoked by the online smack talk from Nurmagomedov and his manager Ali Abdelaziz. There have been a few instances where fans have successfully goaded Dvalishvili into engaging in physical altercations.

After Nurmagomedov and Abdelaziz started an aggressive campaign to annoy Dvalishvili, it became clear that the pressure would eventually break the champion. Both Helwani and Sterling expressed their concerns about Dvalishvili maintaining his composure before and during the fight against Nurmagomedov.

Maintaining Dvalishvili's calm seems to be the most significant challenge facing the coaching team during the training camp.

Considering the information available, we're looking at an exciting fight on paper. Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov shares the co-main event slot with Islam Makhachev defending his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan in the main event at UFC 311.

Besides the two title matches, former light heavyweight champions Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill will square off in a crucial 205-pound division clash. Furthermore, one-time ONE champion Reinier de Ridder hopes to thrust himself into UFC title contention by facing off against Kevin Holland.

RDR will also challenge heavyweight contender Jailton Almeida, with Serghei Spivac serving as Almeida's opponent. Rounding out the impressive main card is a heavyweight contest between Jailton Almeida and Serghei Spivac.

Here's a look at the complete UFC 311 card, taking place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

UFC 311 PPV Main Event on ESPN+ PPV

  • UFC Lightweight Championship: (c) Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan
  • UFC Men’s Bantamweight Championship: (c) Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
  • Heavyweight: Jailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac
  • Light Heavyweight: Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill
  • Middleweight: Kevin Holland vs. Reinier de Ridder

UFC 311 Prelims Card on ESPN+ (8 p.m. ET)

  • Men’s Bantamweight: Rinya Nakamura vs. Muin Gafurov
  • Light Heavyweight: Johnny Walker vs. Bogdan Guskov
  • Women’s Bantamweight: Karol Rosa vs. Ailín Perez
  • Middleweight: Zach Reese vs. Sedriques Dumas

UFC 311 Early ‘Prelims’ Card on ESPN

  • Men’s Bantamweight: Payton Talbott vs. Raoni Barcelos
  • Men’s Bantamweight: Ricky Turcios vs. Benardo Sopai
  • Lightweight: Grant Dawson vs. Diego Ferreira
  1. Aljamain Sterling discussed Dvalishvili's quick title defense on "The Ariel Helwani Show", stating, "This match is being scheduled in just around six weeks—maybe six and a half."
  2. Umar Nurmagomedov will challenge Merab Dvalishvili for the UFC bantamweight title at UFC 311, a fight that takes place four months after Dvalishvili secured the title.
  3. Following the UFC 311 event, Umar Nurmagomedov is expected to face Aljamain Sterling in his next fight, as Sterling mentioned during his interview on "The Ariel Helwani Show".
  4. UFC 312 is not yet scheduled, but it will likely feature some exciting matchups, as many fighters from UFC 311, such as Merab Dvalishvili, Umar Nurmagomedov, and Aljamain Sterling, are expected to continue their respective UFC careers.

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