Merab Dvalishvili aims to break Umar Nurmagomedov, show 'Georgian toughness' at UFC 311

Bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili is confident that his grit will help him prevail at UFC 311.

Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) defends his title against Umar Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the Jan. 18 co-main event from Inglewood, Calif. (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

Dvalishvili has been able to outlast and out-grapple a slew of former champions on his path to UFC gold. In Nurmagomedov, he faces an undefeated phenom, but “The Machine” is ready to come up big as an underdog once again.

“I’m going to show Georgian wrestling and Georgian toughness,” Dvalishvili said on the “Believe You Me” podcast with Michael Bisping. “I’m going to break the guy. It’s going to be a great fight. Umar is a good fighter, but usually when I fight against good fighters and against top fighters, I always show up.

“As long as I’m healthy, I’m good, and I will be fine. It’s going to be a great fight. I’m not expecting an easy fight from Umar. As a fighter, I respect him, and I know he’s a good fighter. I’m excited to fight a good fighter like Umar. He’s undefeated, and I’m going to change his record.”

When asked if their strong grappling bases will cancel each other out and the fight plays out on the feet, Dvalishvili said he plans on changing up his usual game plan for this matchup.

“Maybe,” Dvalishvili said. “Because you’re right: I’m ready for striking. I’m not looking to take him down, control him, and lay on top like (Sean) O’Malley. I’m going to punch his face, kick his legs, keep (the fight) on the feet, and I’m going to show a good fight. It’s going to be a great fight. A lot of scrapping, a lot of exchanges. I believe it’s going to be Fight of the Night or something.”