Merab Dvalishvili defended his bantamweight title tonight at UFC 311 with a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Umar Nurmagomedov.
Round One
Umar taking the center of the Octagon, but keeping his distance as they both size each other up.
Low kick from Merab. Missed high kick from Umar. Low kick from Merab is countered by a punch from Umar.
Low kick from Umar. Body punch from Merab. Fast high kick from Umar partially got through but without power.
Fast flurry of punches from both men at close range but don’t find a clean connection. Merab tries for a takedown, but Umar stuffs it.
Body kick for Umar. He lands punches to the body now too. Another body kick for Umar. He switches to trying for a takedown, but Merab is able to fend it off and moves away.
Swing and a miss from Merab. Umar also misses with body punches but lands a body kick instead. Merab clinches up but can’t work a takedown, so exits with a punch.
Straight left for Umar. Hard right hand for Umar, the best punch of the fight so far.
Round Two
Overhand right from Merab. He lunges in with another of those. Hard body kicks to both sides from Umar. One-two from Umar as Merab was pressing forward.
Merab tries to clinch up and work a takedown, but Umar shuts that down and gets back to striking range.
Single-leg attempt from Merab, but Umar ends up on top. There’s a scramble, but Umar is able to drag Merab down and get to the back. However it’s not long before Merab is able to scramble back to his feet.
Back to striking range. Right hand for Merab and Umar lands his too. Merab with a little blood to the face.
Umar shoots on a takedown, but Merab denies it. Single-leg attempt from Merab doesn’t succeed either.
Merab with a body shot. Now a right hand from him as he moves in for a takedown, but Umar stays upright. Merab stays clinched up against the cage though. Umar reverses and then they break apart soon after.
Merab presses forward behind punches. Body kick for Umar. Body punch from Merab. Merab swings for the fences late in the round but doesn’t find the target.
Round Three
Merab rushes in off an overhand to go for a takedown attempt, but Umar is barely down before he’s back up. Merab lands a right hand though.
Exchange of punches from both men. Body kick from Umar. Lunging punch from Merab. Merab with a right hand and a takedown attempt that fails.
Umar sprawls to defend another potential takedown attempt and there might have been a clash of heads there. Both seem ok though.
Right hand from Merab. He lands a jab and Umar tries to fire back but misses. Wild swings from Merab but Umar avoids that assault.
Merab able to land a quick takedown and Umar bounces straight back to his feet. Merab comes forward behind punches looking fired up. Merab lands a takedown, but Umar sweeps immediately to get on top. They go right back up to their feet though with Merab grinning as they do so.
They break away from the clinch. Leg kick from Umar. He goes for a single-leg attempt, then switches around to the back and tries to drag him down. Merab somehow stays upright, but then Umar adjusts and does bring him down. Merab right back up and gesturing to the crowd as Umar stays clinched up.
Round Five
Umar working the jab. Merab tries for a takedown, but Umar defends. Right hand for Merab. Now a leg kick from him. One-two from Merab, but Umar’s counter punch lands cleaner.
Merab with a single-leg attempt and he gets the takedown, but Umar comes straight back up. Merab goes in on another takedown and Umar goes to his knees. He manages to get back up.
Merab with a punch and is straight back to applying pressure. Umar tries for a takedown but it doesn’t pay off.
Good body punch from Merab. Straight punches from Umar. He stuffs a takedown. Body kick from Umar but not much steam behind it.
Right hook counter lands for Umar. Head kick just misses from him. Good right hand from Merab. Single-leg from Merab and briefly gets Umar down.
Right hand from Merab as Umar punches to the body. Body punch from Merab. Single-leg attempt from Umar but Merab breaks free.
left hand for Umar. Body punch from Merab. Umar shrugs off a takedown. Umar with tired looking strikes. Merab with a punch. Now Merab goes for a takedown and lands it. Umar works back to his feet but Merab stays clinched up before backing away in the final couple of seconds. Merab’s pace and cardio is really wearing on Umar heading into the final round.
Round Five
Missed spinning backfist from Merab after a quiet start to the round. Umar stuffs a takedown. Low kick from Merab.
Single-leg attempt from Merab and Umar shakes it off. He tries it again and again it’s defended by Umar. He spams that takedown attempt again without success.
left hand from Umar. Merab in on a takedown against the cage. Umar defending for now. Merab punches to the body and backs away.
Body kick for Umar. Umar shoots but Merab sprawls on that attempt and pops right back up. Grazing right hand from Merab. Left hand for Umar.
Solid body kick from Umar and then another on the other side. Merab in on another takedown attempt, but Umar fends it off.
Merab fails on another takedown and Umar lands a nice left hand and kick behind that. Punch for Umar. He defends another takedown. Missed punches from Umar but lands a leg kick. Hard right hand from Merab and then a brief takedown.
Umar back up. Merab showboating but then lands another takedown. Umar fights his way back up, but then Merab takes him down nicely again.
Final few seconds and Merab backs away and celebrates.
Decision
In the early rounds of this fight there wasn’t too much between the two, but in the later rounds Merab had the better cardio and his confidence surged as he started to have more success with his pressure and brief but frequent takedowns. And that ensured that it’s Dvalishvili who emerges with a unanimous decision victory (48-47 x2, 49-46) to successfully defend his title for the first time.
