Dvalishvili shows respect for Nurmagomedov despite rivalry after UFC Shanghai KO

Merab Dvalishvili has admitted he felt no satisfaction watching rival Umar Nurmagomedov suffer the first knockout loss of his career, despite the pair’s well-documented animosity. Song Yadong landed a perfectly timed uppercut to stop Nurmagomedov at UFC Shanghai in August, ending the Dagestani’s unbeaten stoppage record at 20-2.

“When I see Umar lose that way, I was not happy because I never wish somebody to lose or get KO’d like this,” Dvalishvili said in a recent interview. “I was not happy, but I was excited for Song Yadong because he is the new contender now.”

Dvalishvili (21-5) was quick to credit Song’s performance, calling the Chinese bantamweight dangerous and describing the finish as impressive. The Georgian is now targeting Song as a potential future opponent, drawn in part by his knockout power — a quality Dvalishvili rarely faces from a challenger.

“New blood, I never fought him,” Dvalishvili added. “He excites me because he has knockout power. God willing, I beat Petr; I think Song Yadong will be my next opponent because we have never fought.”

Before any matchup with Song can materialise, Dvalishvili must first navigate a trilogy bout with Petr Yan at UFC 333 on October 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Yan (20-5) took the bantamweight title from Dvalishvili this past December, and the rematch represents the former champion’s most immediate path back to gold.

The bad blood between Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov stretches back to the lead-up to Dvalishvili’s first title defence, when he publicly accused Nurmagomedov of being fast-tracked to a title shot on the strength of his family connection to UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov. Dvalishvili eventually accepted the fight and handed Umar his first professional defeat, successfully retaining the belt before going on to defend it twice more prior to losing it to Yan.