UFC 321’s Umar Nurmagomedov says Merab Dvalishvili knows he will lose possible rematch

Umar Nurmagomedov is aware of Merab Dvalishvili’s continued trash talk, and he thinks the explanation is clear.

Nurmagomedov challenged Dvalishvili for the UFC Bantamweight Championship back in January. Despite being competitive, Nurmagomedov fell short in his first crack at a major world title. The unanimous decision loss marked the first time Nurmagomedov had been defeated in his pro MMA career.

While there were some heated words exchanged prior to their first encounter, “The Machine” continues to make bold claims if the two ever have a rematch. During a UFC 321 media day scrum, Nurmagomedov said that Dvalishvili knows their rematch would play out far differently (via MMAFighting).

“If you ask him I think he will say, ‘He has to fight 10 times until he wins 10,’” Nurmagomedov said. “What I can [say]? It’s just his mind, his opinion, and he can say whatever he wants, but reality is going to be different.

“Because he knows, everybody knows why he’s talking like this,” he added. “Because he knows what’s going to happen in fight next. He knows it was very close, and it’s funny for everyone, not just for me. Everybody can see.”

Nurmagomedov’s attention is currently on Mario Bautista. They will collide on the UFC 321 card in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. This one could have high stakes, and many are viewing it as a potential title eliminator. Nurmagomedov told Newsweek Sports that he isn’t expecting to be promised a title rematch with a victory.

“You know, in UFC, nothing can guarantee you something,” Nurmagomedov said. “It always depends on something else. It’s going to depend on time, it depends on injured or not, and I will not wait. After that fight, I want to fight again in January or February. Doesn’t matter if it’s going to be for a title or it’s going to be some regular fight. I just want to be busy.”

Stick with BJPenn.com on Saturday for live coverage of UFC 321, which will be an afternoon show on the East Coast (main card starts at 2 p.m. ET ). We’ll provide live results from the prelims to the main event, and you’ll also find video highlights and reactions from pro MMA fighters on the homepage.