Our Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov prediction is that the UFC 311 co-main event is going to be a real banger. Oddsmakers don’t seem to agree – they see the latest member of the Nurmagomedov Clan to come into the spotlight as a huge favorite. Can Merab upset the odds?
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov Odds
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Merab Dvalishvili | +250 |
| Umar Nurmagomedov | -300 |
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California
- Date: Saturday, January 18, 2024
- Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: PPV
Merab Dvalishvili Determined to Prove UFC 311 Odds Wrong
Merab Dvalishvili is seen as a huge underdog in the UFC 311 co-main event, which is kind of surprising given that he’s the defending champion of the Bantamweight Division. He’s 18-4 overall with 9 wins in a row.
The last of those happened against Sean O’Malley in the battle for the title. Before that, we saw him beat Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan, Jose Aldo, and many other elite bantamweights.
What’s interesting is that he defeated all of those opponents by decision, which is a testament to his relentless attitude to fighting. This is why it’s no surprise that the Georgian fighter is nicknamed The Machine. But will The Machine break against Nurmagomedov?
Umar Nurmagomedov Is Ready to Win the Title
Umar Nurmagomedov is 18-0 overall, which is great, but the fact is that he hasn’t fought against too many elite opponents. In fact, the only ranked UFC opponent he’s fought so far is Cory Sandhagen, whom he defeated by unanimous decision in the Bantamweight Title Eliminator last year.
He won that fight by putting his wrestling skills to use and making five takedowns, without getting taken down even once. He did the same in the fight before – against Bekzat Almakhan.
However, neither of those guys is anywhere near as good when it comes to wrestling as Umar’s next opponent. On the other hand, Umar is a member of the Nurmagomedov family, which is famous for wrestling.
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov Prediction
This is going to be a hell of a fight that will probably last for the full 25 minutes. We’re going to see plenty of takedowns on both ends, as well as plenty of significant strikes landed by each fighter. But who’s going to do better?
Well, if the fight goes the distance, we think Merab will win. After all, 14 of his 18 wins happened by decision.
Pick: Merab Dvalishvili