Dvalishvili dismisses Nurmagomedov rematch talk, insists Yan trilogy is next

Merab Dvalishvili has made clear he has no interest in a rematch with Umar Nurmagomedov, insisting the only fight on his radar is a trilogy against UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan. Dvalishvili lost the title to Yan at UFC 323 this past December and considers a third meeting the only logical next step in his career.

Speaking at a press conference for his upcoming wrestling match against Frankie Edgar at RAF 9, Dvalishvili was asked whether he would consider facing Nurmagomedov if the winner of Sean O’Malley versus Aiemann Zahabi — scheduled for UFC White House on June 14 — jumped the queue for a title shot. His response left little room for interpretation.

“What kind of question is this?” Dvalishvili said. “I’m sure you know I’m fighting Petr Yan, it’s gonna be trilogy. He beat me last fight and we have to fight again. But who the f—k is Umar, bro? Who cares about him?”

The animosity between the two bantamweights stretches back to when Dvalishvili (21-5) first captured the title against O’Malley in 2024. The then-unbeaten Nurmagomedov immediately called for a title shot, but Dvalishvili initially rebuffed him in favour of an O’Malley rematch. Accusations of ducking followed from fans, given that Nurmagomedov was widely regarded as the division’s most dangerous contender at the time.

Dvalishvili eventually accepted the challenge and successfully defended his title against Nurmagomedov, handing the Dagestani his first professional loss. Despite the outcome, the bad blood never fully dissipated. Dvalishvili repeatedly accused Nurmagomedov of disrespecting him throughout their rivalry, while also making a pointed distinction between his feelings toward Umar and his respect for Umar’s cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov and teammate Islam Makhachev. He also alleged that Umar benefited from his family connections within the sport.

Nurmagomedov (20-1) has since recovered from that defeat with back-to-back wins over Mario Bautista and Deiveson Figueiredo, keeping himself in contention at 135 pounds. Whether that form is enough to earn him another shot at the title — and a potential second meeting with Dvalishvili — remains to be seen, though the Georgian has made his own preference abundantly clear.