Merab Dvalishvili Sets UFC History in Title Defense Against Umar Nurmagomedov

Merab Dvalishvili joined rare company after his win Saturday night against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Although some may not appreciate his fighting style, Merab Dvalishvili outlasted Umar Nurmagomedov to win a five-round decision in the first defense of his UFC bantamweight title in the UFC 311 co-headliner Saturday night.

Dvalishvili Makes History At UFC 311

In doing so, Dvalishvili, who has won 12 fights in a row after beginning his UFC career 0-2, surpassed former two-division champion Georges St-Pierre with 92 successful takedown attempts.

Ilia Topuria Delivers Verbal Jab Toward Islam Makhachev Following UFC 311

The news broke during the Pay-Per-View broadcast to the shock and amazement of most of the MMA community, including the UFC broadcast team.

St-Pierre had three separate stints as a UFC world champion. His first came in 2006, in a rematch against then-champion Matt Hughes, who had submitted him two years prior. A head-kick KO changed the trajectory of the division briefly before Matt Serra put a halt to those plans in April 2007.

Merab Dvalishvili Sets UFC History in Title Defense Against Umar Nurmagomedov
Jason Silva-Imagn Images

St-Pierre didn't lose again in the Octagon, holding the welterweight title from April 2008 through November 2013. He would step away from competition for four years, returning to defeat then-champion Michael Bisping at middleweight at UFC 217 in the French-Canadian's final MMA fight.

Dvalishvili can't be denied as one of the best bantamweights ever, despite being 34. Entering the Nurmagomedov fight as a betting underdog, Dvalishvili had defeated four former UFC champions in a row, including Henry Cejudo and Jose Aldo, to name a few.

Merab Dvalishvili Sets UFC History in Title Defense Against Umar Nurmagomedov
Jan 18, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Merab Dvalishvili (red gloves) celebrates after winning a UFC bantamweight title fight against Umar Nurmagomedov (not pictured) during UFC 311 at Intuit Dome. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev Gives Ideal Return Timeline After UFC 311

Dvalishvili now has options. He can try to test the waters at featherweight, pursue a Sean O'Malley rematch, or try to go for Round 6 in rematch against Nurmagomedov, as that is the only defeat on Nurmagomedov's record.

Regardless, Dvalishvili has arrived and has joined elite company in doing so. Barring anything catastrophic, he is going to be part of the UFC's puzzle going forward. For a promotion still adjusting to its new calendar, that's an encouraging sign.

More UFC & MMA News

• Ex-Lightweight Champ Sends Blunt Message on Next Islam Makhachev Fight After UFC 311

• Dana White Takes Back Arman Tsarukyan's Title Shot after UFC 311 Pullout

• Paddy Pimblett Rips Renato Moicano for Islam Makhachev Tap at UFC 311: ‘Go to Sleep'

• Ilia Topuria Sends Heartfelt Message to Merab Dvalishvili Post-UFC 311 Title Defense

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99