Merab Dvalishvili shuts down possibility of Umar Nurmagomedov rematch

Merab Dvalishvili has firmly shut down any possibility of facing Umar Nurmagomedov again, dismissing the notion with blunt remarks about the younger fighter's relevance. Dvalishvili lost his bantamweight title to Petr Yan in a rematch at UFC 323 in December and is now focused on securing a trilogy with Yan rather than entertaining other challengers. The Georgian champion's dismissal of Nurmagomedov comes despite the unbeaten contender's repeated calls for a title shot; Dvalishvili had previously rejected Nurmagomedov to pursue a rematch with Sean O'Malley after winning the title in 2024. O'Malley is now scheduled to face Aiemann Zahabi at UFC White House on June 14. Dvalishvili's priority is clearly regaining the belt from Yan, and he shows no interest in giving Nurmagomedov an opportunity despite the latter's impressive record and ranking.