Umar Nurmagomedov demands Merab Dvalishvili rematch regardless of UFC 333 result

Umar Nurmagomedov has made his intentions clear: he wants Merab Dvalishvili again, and the outcome of UFC 333 will not change that.

Speaking to MMA Junkie, the 30-year-old Russian made plain that he plans to pursue a rematch with Dvalishvili whether the Georgian wins or loses his bantamweight title fight against Petr Yan at UFC 333 on October 24 in Abu Dhabi. The rivalry, Nurmagomedov indicated, has taken on a personal dimension following a reported altercation between Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov's friend Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov at a recent event in Georgia.

Nurmagomedov carries a 20-1 record into this chapter of his career. The lone blemish came in January 2025 at UFC 311, where Dvalishvili handed him his first professional defeat via unanimous decision in a bantamweight title bout. Currently ranked third in the division, Nurmagomedov is a precise and well-rounded fighter, landing 3.86 significant strikes per minute at 56 percent accuracy while also generating 4.03 takedowns per fifteen minutes for Eagles MMA.

Before any rematch talk can move forward, Nurmagomedov must handle business at UFC Fight Night 286 in Shanghai, where he faces Song Yadong in Saturday's main event.

Dvalishvili, known as "The Machine," stands at 21-5 and is ranked first in the bantamweight division, with a pound-for-pound ranking of second in the world. The 35-year-old Georgian is one of the sport's most relentless wrestlers, averaging a remarkable 6.4 takedowns per fifteen minutes for the Serra-Longo Fight Team. He faces bantamweight champion Petr Yan, who holds a 20-5 record and lands 5.12 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy.

Why it matters

• A Nurmagomedov win in Shanghai keeps him squarely in the title picture and positions him as the logical next challenger regardless of the UFC 333 result.
• Dvalishvili versus Yan will determine the bantamweight champion, directly affecting the divisional landscape Nurmagomedov is targeting.
• The personal friction between camps adds weight to what is already a high-stakes rivalry, suggesting the rematch carries momentum beyond pure rankings logic.