According to Javier Mendez, Merab Dvalishvili`s gamesmanship was key to his victory over Umar Nurmagomedov.
In January at UFC 311, Dvalishvili successfully defended his title against Nurmagomedov in a co-main event. Despite being the underdog, Dvalishvili outperformed Nurmagomedov over five rounds with his relentless cardio and pressure. He secured a win by unanimous decision 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, believes a different factor was decisive.
On his “Javier & Mo” podcast, Mendez stated, “Umar, in my opinion, you won three out of five rounds. Perhaps I`m biased, but in the fifth round, Dvalishvili`s `showboating` swayed the judges. He acted like he was winning while you appeared tired. I believe he secured the win because you allowed him to influence the perception. But I still think you performed better.”
Mendez elaborated, “Considering the damage inflicted, Umar arguably dealt more. However, Merab projected himself as the victor, and Umar didn`t counter that narrative. I can see how judges might have been influenced by this.”
The fight statistics show a close contest, with Dvalishvili landing only seven more strikes. Yet, Dvalishvili also achieved five more takedowns, although with twice the attempts. Ultimately, Dvalishvili won by decision and is scheduled to face Sean O’Malley in a rematch at UFC 316 in June. Nurmagomedov is rumored to be matched against Petr Yan, but no official announcement has been made.
