Merab Dvalishvili’s coach, Ray Longo, believes the champ will fare even better in a potential rematch against Umar Nurmagomedov.
The then-unbeaten Nurmagomedov was considered the toughest challenge for Dvalishvili, who was initially reluctant to fight him in his first title defense. However, Dvalishvili eventually accepted the booking at UFC 311 this past January. While Nurmagomedov led the dance in the opening round, Dvalishvili took over as the fight progressed to earn a unanimous decision victory.
After Dvalishvili beat Sean O’Malley in a rematch at UFC 316 earlier this month, a rematch between the champ and Nurmagomedov is up for discussion again.