According to Javier Mendez, Merab Dvalishvili`s gamesmanship played a significant role in his victory over Umar Nurmagomedov.
In January at UFC 311, Dvalishvili successfully defended his title against Nurmagomedov in a highly anticipated co-main event. Despite being the underdog, Dvalishvili demonstrated superior endurance and relentless pressure throughout the 25-minute fight. He secured a unanimous decision win with scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46. Post-fight, Nurmagomedov mentioned a hand injury from the first round which he claimed hindered his performance. However, his coach, Javier Mendez, suggests a different perspective on the outcome.
On his podcast, Javier & Mo, Mendez stated, “I told Umar, ‘You know, in my opinion, you won three out of the five rounds. I might be biased, but I felt in the fifth round, the reason you didn`t win is because Dvalishvili showboated his way to victory. He acted like he was winning, and you were tired. I believe he took the round because you allowed him to dominate the presence. But I still think you won overall.’”
Mendez elaborated, “When considering damage and other factors, Dvalishvili`s actual inflicted damage was less significant compared to Umar`s. Umar landed more impactful strikes. However, Merab projected himself as the winner, constantly displaying confidence, and Umar didn`t counteract that. I can see how judges could be influenced by that perceived dominance.”
The statistics of the fight indicate a close contest, with Dvalishvili landing only seven more strikes than Nurmagomedov. Dvalishvili did achieve five more takedowns, although with twice the number of attempts. Ultimately, Dvalishvili was awarded the decision and is now scheduled for a rematch against Sean O’Malley at UFC 316 in June. Meanwhile, there are rumors of a potential matchup between Nurmagomedov and Petr Yan, but nothing has been officially confirmed.
Wesley Dunham