Umar Nurmagomedov, the undefeated bantamweight contender, is seeking a title shot against UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili and highlighted past support from Aljamain Sterling, who now questions Nurmagomedov’s future fight plans amidst ongoing discussions about merit-based title opportunities.
Umar Nurmagomedov pulled out an intriguing receipt Thursday. The undefeated bantamweight contender—currently No. 2 at 135 pounds in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings—has been in hot pursuit of UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili. Dvalishvili, however, has gone to great lengths to explain why Nurmagomedov does not deserve a title shot.
Dvalishvili’s stance is frequently backed by his teammate and close friend Aljamain Sterling, a former bantamweight champion himself. On Thursday, though, Nurmagomedov brought up a past comment from Sterling supporting his contender candidacy. After Nurmagomedov defeated Cory Sandhagen this past August, Sterling tweeted, “Umar earns his title shot.”
Nurmagomedov tagged Sterling on Twitter, writing, “When you weren’t afraid to speak the truth.” Sterling responded almost immediately, asking if Nurmagomedov plans to fight again soon or just keep talking. He stated he doesn’t care who gets the shot but believes it should be based on merit for who earned it the most.
As of now, Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov are yet to book their next fight. Dvalishvili has mentioned several other fighters as potential opponents, including Sean O’Malley and former titleholder Petr Yan. Meanwhile, Sterling seems puzzled about whether Nurmagomedov will fight again or wait for Dvalishvili.
Sterling expressed confusion over a canceled fight between Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong. “I can’t make heads or tails of what’s going on,” he remarked. He also noted that trying to rush Merab into fighting sooner than later is disingenuous.
Sterling has his own battles to focus on as he prepares to return to the octagon next Saturday at UFC 310 against top featherweight contender Movsar Evloev.