Umar Nurmagomedov likes the fact that Merab Dvalishvili wants to hurt him.
Nurmagomedov challenged Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title at UFC 311 this past January. The Dagestani suffered his first professional loss via unanimous decision. While Nurmagomedov edged past Dvalishvili in the early rounds, the champ resorted to his signature cage control in the later rounds.
Nurmagomedov is now scheduled to face a surging Mario Bautista at UFC 321 this weekend at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, Dvalishvili defended his title against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320 earlier this month in his usual style.