Merab Dvalishvili has been dominating the UFC realm in recent times. Having won the bantamweight title, Dvalishvili has now defended his title twice. And on both occasions, he has been overly dominant. Now, looking for his third title defence, a probable name coming up is Umar Nurmagomedov. And having already defeated him once, Dvalishvili’s coach has some bad news for the Nurmagomedov camp.
Ray Longo, Dvalishvili’s coach, recently reflected on a probable rematch. Speaking about the fight, Longo opined that there won’t be much difference. And this time too, it will be the champion who will come out on top.
“The rematch with Merab will be even worse for Umar, just like O’Malley,” said Longo.
“The rematch with Merab will be even worse for Umar, just like O’Malley”
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) June 24, 2025
Dvalishvili’s coach Ray Longo shared his thoughts on a possible rematch between Umar Nurmagomedov and the current bantamweight champion.
Red Corner MMA spoke to Longo in Azerbaijan, where he came to corner… pic.twitter.com/Dn6LzWC1Yb
Nurmagomedov did put up an impressive fight. He even dominated Dvalishvili for the initial couple of rounds. However, ‘Machine’ made a stupendous comeback to nudge ahead and ultimately retain his championship. Meanwhile, reflecting on the loss, Umar Nurmagomedov seems to give no excuses.
Umar Nurmagomedov Accepts Loss Against Merab Dvalishvili
In the initial moments, Umar Nurmagomedov stated that he was not happy with the judges’ decision. However, months later, Nurmagomedov is not giving any excuses. He is embracing the loss and also acknowledged how Dvalishvili was the better fighter that day.
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“I went into my last fight with an injured hand. This is not an excuse — I lost, and that’s that. It was Allah’s will for me, and I accept it. I rewatched the fight — the third and fourth rounds, I gave those up. I lost them, it’s clear,” Nurmagomedov said.
Umar Nurmagomedov rewatched the Merab fight and takes full accountability for the loss 🥋💯
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) June 15, 2025
"I went into my last fight with an injured hand. This is not an excuse — I lost, and that’s that. It was Allah’s will for me, and I accept it. I rewatched the fight — the third and fourth… pic.twitter.com/PvHRFLRoKu
Thus, with the noise getting louder for a rematch, it now remains to be seen what happens next.
Also Read: Umar Nurmagomedov Drops Shocking Update About Islam Makhachev’s Aim To Be A Double Champion
