Merab Dvalishvili Sets UFC History in Title Defense Against Umar Nurmagomedov

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.
Merab Dvalishvili has now surpassed Georges St-Pierre for the most takedowns in UFC history 👏 #UFC311 pic.twitter.com/L3uRvJLWXK
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 19, 2025
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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.
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.
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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.
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