Dvalishvili outlasts Nurmagomedov to retain UFC bantamweight title

UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili went into his first title defense as a 2-1 underdog. And for the first 10 minutes of the fight, it looked like Umar Nurmagomedov had his number.

But as the fight progressed, Dvalishvili got stronger and, slowly but surely, became the first man to solve the puzzle of the most successful family in MMA.

Dvalishvili defeated Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) to retain his title in the UFC 311 co-main event Saturday night at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

"The whole world was against me," Dvalishvili said in his postfight interview. "I was the underdog. But you think what I was thinking, 'I don't give a shit.' I believe in myself. I believe in my hard work."

Nurmagomedov suffered his first career loss against Dvalishvili, falling to 18-1 as a professional. The combined record between Nurmagomedov, his brother, Bellator lightweight champion Usman, and his cousin, UFC Hall of Famer Khabib, is now 65-1 (1 NC).

Nurmagomedov outworked Dvalishvili in the first 10 minutes of Saturday's title fight, landing cleaner strikes on the feet and displaying excellent takedown defense. Nurmagomedov was ahead 20-18 on two of three judges' scorecards going into the third round.

But Dvalishvili rallied in the second half of the fight to keep the title. He upped his aggression, pushed Nurmagomedov against the fence, and outlasted the challenger, who grew tired in the fifth round, with his supreme cardiovascular endurance.

Dvalishvili completed seven of 30 takedown attempts overall - surpassing former UFC two-division champion Georges St-Pierre for the most takedowns in UFC history (91) - and edged Nurmagomedov 111-104 in significant strikes.

Nurmagomedov said he felt like he won but that he needed to watch the fight back.

"I think first two rounds I won, others were close," Nurmagomedov said. "I don't think I lose this fight. ... I'm not arguing with the judges. I need to rewatch. I need to see the full rounds."

Dvalishvili revealed afterward that he wasn't at 100% during much of his training camp for the fight: He had to overcome a serious staph infection on his leg.

"You know I train all the time," Dvalishvili said. "I am 'The Machine.' But when I took this fight, it was six weeks' notice, and I was injured. I had a big cut on my leg, and I had an infection. But I know the UFC needed me. I heard from somebody that they really needed me."

Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov suffered an injury during the fight. The challenger broke his hand in the first round, his management confirmed to MMA Fighting's Damon Martin.

Dvalishvili is riding a 12-fight winning streak following his first title defense. "The Machine" captured the 135-pound belt with a lopsided decision victory over Sean O'Malley at UFC 306 last September at the promotion's debut at Sphere in Las Vegas. Dvalishvili hasn't suffered a loss in the Octagon since 2018.

Nurmagomedov, who debuted in the UFC in 2021, falls to 6-1 in the promotion. The Dagestani fighter earned a title shot by defeating top contender Cory Sandhagen last August.