In the co-main event at UFC 311, Merab Dvalishvili successfully defended the bantamweight title against Umar Nurmagomedov in an instant classic title fight.
The matchup more than lived up to the hype, with the pair delivering an incredibly high-level bout that was fought at an unbelievable pace.
Nurmagomedov started the fight well with his superior striking and remarkable takedown defense allowing him to dictate the fight and stop the champion from implementing his relentless approach. But as the fight went on, the tide started to turn.
Dvalishvili won the final three rounds to retain the title and become the first man to defeat his Dagestani challenger.
The gas tank of “The Machine” was once again the thing that separated him from his opponent, with a crazy amount of takedown attempts that didn’t seem to take any energy away from him. Nurmagomedov may have lost his undefeated record, but despite tiring in the second half of the fight, he proved himself to be an incredible adversary for the reigning titleholder.
Fight fans reacted on social media to the first title fight of 2025, which set an extremely high bar for the rest of the year.
I have no words right now.
Merab is amazing man, deserves this glory— mettal
(@mmamettal) January 19, 2025
(@mmamettal)