Merab Dvalishvili is heated.
Subsequent month, Dvalishvili will defend his bantamweight title towards Umar Nurmagomedov within the co-main occasion of UFC 311. On Friday in Las Vegas, the UFC held its first press convention for the occasion, the place the 2 males got here head to head for the primary time because the battle was booked, and issues began sizzling immediately with the champion saying Nurmagomedov doesn’t deserve this battle.
“In fact it’s private, as a result of each time I see him, I give him my respect, I shake his hand, I even inform him I used to be going to battle him in the future,” Dvalishvili mentioned. “And he began speaking trash on-line, and actual males don’t do that. So it’s private for me.”
“I used to be going to take my time,” Dvalishvili continued. “I used to be pondering to take six months between my fights and I used to be going to take pleasure in. [Then] when Petr [Yan] had an awesome battle towards [Deiveson] Figueiredo, I used to be so excited, particularly as a result of he known as me out. Since Umar wasn’t capable of battle in March, I mentioned OK, let’s battle Petr in March in Las Vegas. O’Malley was coming again in April. I used to be pondering to battle O’Malley in April and I used to be pondering to battle Umar in Could. Now it’s flipped.
“It’s going to be a troublesome battle. He’s a superb fighter. However he didn’t earn it like all people else. He didn’t undergo [everybody]. It’s important to undergo one of the best however he solely fought no-wrestling [Cory] Sandhagen. Yeah, he’s a superb fighter however it’s a must to battle all people to show. However I give individuals what they need, and I give the UFC what they need.”
However Dvalishvili didn’t cease there. When Nurmagomedov was requested concerning the matchup, Dvalishvili interrupted him, shouting private assaults at him.
“Be a person, first!” Dvalishvili screamed. “It’s important to be a person! You might be good fighter however not a superb man! You might be piece of shit! You might be [a] piece of shit! You misplaced respect! You misplaced respect as a person, from me! Actual males don’t speak trash on-line!
Nurmagomedov responded by saying he by no means made any private assaults, merely saying that Dvalishvili “tried to keep away from” him, which set Dvalishvili off once more.
“Who’re you?! F*cking who’re you?” Dvalishvili retorted. “You don’t even deserve it! You assume I’m going to go backwards and battle No. 15? I’m combating for the belt! I’m a f*cking champion! How dare you, you sneaky man! After I beat Petr Yan and I grew to become No. 1 contender, you known as me out. … You got here within the locker room and also you shook my hand and, ‘Hey congratulations,’ and also you wish to battle me once you had been No. 14 and I used to be No. 1? …
“They offer you a present. Be grateful!”
For Nurmagomedov’s half, he remained calm all through Dvalishvili’s outbursts. At one level he did try to get the champion to make clear how he disrespected him, which then prompted Dvalishvili to once more shout that Nurmagomedov is a liar.
“Every thing was a lie!” Dvalishvili mentioned. “You’re a liar! You’re not a person! You misplaced my respect!”
Issues acquired so dangerous that light-weight champion Islam Makhachev, who fights Armen Tsarukyan in the primary occasion of UFC 311 and was additionally on the press convention, interjected to attempt to calm Dvalishvili down.
“I wish to say only one factor,” Makhachev mentioned. “Merab, I don’t don’t have anything for you previous respect, however don’t make the belt look dangerous. When you’ve got some actual contender, simply battle.”
In the end, nothing extra occurred past the cruel phrases and when Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov shared their first face-off, UFC CEO Dana White saved the 2 far sufficient aside to forestall any bodily altercation.
UFC 311 takes place on Jan. 18 on the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.
