Merab Dvalishvili’s coach sends stern warning to Umar Nurmagomedov on potential rematch

The head coach of Merab Dvalishvili doesn’t think Umar Nurmagomedov would fare much better against his fighter in a rematch.

Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov first shared the Octagon back in January. “The Machine” put the UFC Bantamweight Championship at stake against the previously unbeaten Nurmagomedov. Dvalishvili ended up winning the fight via unanimous decision to retain the 135-pound gold.

If the two meet again, head coach Ray Longo believes a rematch might be even tougher for Nurmagomedov.

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Ray Longo Cautions Umar Nurmagomedov

Speaking to Red Corner MMA, Ray Longo said he doesn’t see Umar Nurmagomedov having a better shot at success against Merab Dvalishvili if they clash a second time (via MMAJunkie).

“The same way the first fight went,” Longo told Red Corner MMA on how he sees Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov 2 going. “Maybe worse, just like O’Malley. The O’Malley, first one he didn’t finish. The second one – the more comfortable Merab gets, the better he’s going to get. He already fought Umar, he’s got the confidence now.

“You got to remember, even in the Umar fight, he played around a little bit. No playing around would have been a different story. So, he’s getting more serious with the fighting, with that part. You didn’t see it in the O’Malley fight, no playing around at all. No kissing, no looking away. He was all business so, he’s going to do that – I believe he’ll do that to Umar, too.”

Dvalishvili believes that Cory Sandhagen is the next contender for his bantamweight gold. It appears the UFC brass agrees, as “The Machine” and Sandhagen had a staredown inside the Octagon after Dvalishvili defeated Sean O’Malley in their rematch in Newark. As for Nurmagomedov, there’s no word on when he’ll be able to return to action following a hand injury.