“I want my rematch”: Umar Nurmagomedov reveals plans to avenge Merab Dvalishvili loss

Umar Nurmagomedov has made it clear that he wants another opportunity to capture the UFC bantamweight belt, as he couldn’t capture it when he fought Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311 back in Jan 2025. 

That defeat marked his first loss in his professional career. Despite the setback, he has remained determined to return to the top of the division and recently explained why avenging his loss to Dvalishvili is important to him.

Umar Nurmagomedov vows to return to UFC title picture and avenge Merab Dvalishvili loss

Nurmagomedov had six victories in the UFC when he got his maiden title shot, and Dvalishvili, throughout the build-up of the fight, was of the stance that the Dagestani bantamweight doesn't deserve the title shot and that he only got it because he is the cousin of UFC superstar Khabib Nurmagomedov. 

In the hard-fought battle, Umar fell short and lost via unanimous decision. He later revealed that he broke his hand in the first round and fought through that, and he also shared pictures of his broken hand on social media afterward. 

In his recent appearance on Red Corner MMA, Umar expressed his desire to fight for the title again and also wants to settle the question surrounding his loss to Dvalishvili. 

“I want to fight for the belt. I don’t care who. And, of course, I want my rematch . The only fight that didn’t go according to plan,” Nurmagomedov told Red Corner MMA.

Nurmagomedov also revealed that he wants to find out how the fight could have unfolded had he not suffered a serious hand injury. Rather than using the injury as an excuse, however, he insisted that he gave everything he had inside the octagon.

“I want to know for myself how I would fight with a healthy hand, not a broke one how would i have breathed? How would I have fought in the next three rounds. I want to remove the question mark for Myself. I did everything I could. I fought as hard as I could with a broken hand and it wasn't like i couldn’ve done more in this fight but I didn't I did everything I could in this fight. That's why I don't have any thoughts like I could've have done something else I left my all in that fight I know that for sure ” he added.

Since his defeat to Dvalishvili, Umar fought twice and secured a dominant decision victory against Mario Bautista and Deiveson Figueiredo. He is now preparing for his next challenge coming this Saturday. 

Umar Nurmagomedov is set to challenge Song Yadong at UFC Shanghai

UFC Shanghai will go down this coming Saturday at the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China. A bantamweight fight between Umar and Song Yadong headlines the event. 

The fight remains important for the bantamweight division. A dominant victory for Umar will put him in a position where he can demand a winner of Petr Yan vs Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333 for Yan’s title.