UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili went back to work a little quicker than anybody anticipated, returning from a title win in September to a title defense against Umar Nurmagomedov this Saturday at UFC 311 - and Umar's cousin Khabib believes he knows why.

Dvalishvili will also need to be mindful inside of scrambles given his propensity to expose his back when returning to standing positions. As Nurmagomedov has already shown in the octagon, the Dagestani fighter is incredibly systematic and effective when it comes to breaking down his opponents from rear mount and riding positions.

Tomorrow night in the co-main event of UFC 311, the bantamweight title is on the line. The two most dominant forces in the bantamweight division will clash as the champion Merab Dvalishvili (18-4) takes on his toughest test in the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov (18-0).

Jari Prochazka versus Jamahal Hill is the pick of the fights from the rest of the undercard, with betting apps pricing the American at 8/11 to get the win, while Kevin Holland’s middleweight contest against Reinier de Ridder will attract some interest too.

The first title fight of 2025 is set after Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov made weight Friday for UFC 311.

Henry Cejudo gave Umar Nurmagomedov some insight ahead of UFC 311. Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) challenges bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) in Saturday's co-main event (pay-per-view,

The fight is happening, but Umar Nurmagomedov is convinced that that's not what Merab Dvalishvili wanted. The two bantamweights collide in the co-main event of UFC 311 on Saturday at Intuit Dome in Inglewood,