LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 06: Umar Nurmagomedov of Russia is seen on stage during the UFC 311 … [+]
A new wrinkle has emerged ahead of the UFC 311 pay-per-view card, as Umar Nurmagomedov, who faces UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili in the evening’s co-main event, recently said he accepted the fight while recovering from a broken arm.
“After I was in Dagestan, I punch my arm,” Nurmagomedov told the UFC. “I go to show doctor and I show them. They did X-ray and they said, ‘You broke [your arm].’ You know? After that, after 20 days I go again even when I was broken, I was running. I want to still be in shape, you know. Even that time I try to run, try to do shadowboxing, try to be in shape. And after 20 days I go again, and it’s become much better.”
“Even my punches and other things, I do grapple, I can do wrestling class, everything I can do,” Nurmagomedov continued. “Then I called my manager Ali [Abdelaziz] and I said to him, ‘Hey, I want to fight.’ He said, ‘But we said we’re injured,’ and I said, ‘I told you, take this fight.’ My manager and my brother said, ‘Are you crazy? You can’t fight like that,’ and they said no. [UFC] asked again, they called me again, ‘Will you fight with Merab?’ Of course, I already called with Ali and said make it happen. I want to fight in Ramadan, if Merab wants to fight in Ramadan I want to be active.”
Nurmagomedov’s admission should not come as a complete surprise. After all, the No. 2 ranked fighter in the UFC bantamweight rankings, said in late November that he had “a small arm fracture and couldn’t perform in January,” before adding, “My arm is fine now, and I’m open to any offers.”
I have reached out to the UFC to get a comment on Nurmagomedov’s fitness and ability to be cleared by the California State Athletic Commission for UFC 311. The story will be updated if the promotion replies.
UFC 311 takes place on January 18, 2025 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The pay-per-view portion of the event begins at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on ESPN+. The event is the first PPV card on the UFC’s 2025 schedule.
UFC 311: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 06: (L-R) Opponents Umar Nurmagomedov of Russia and Merab Dvalishvili … [+]
The 28-year-old Nurmagomedov is 18-0 overall, and 6-0 in the UFC. In his most recent outing, Nurmagomedov scored a unanimous decision win over former interim UFC bantamweight title challenger Cory Sandhagen.
Dvalishvili (18-4) sports a 11-2 record in the UFC. The 33-year-old is on an 11-fight winning streak, a run that began after he lost his first two outings under the UFC banner. In his most recent fight, Dvalishvili captured the UFC bantamweight title with a unanimous decision win over Sean O’Malley.
UFC 311 Co-Main Event Opening Odds: Merab Dvalishvili Vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
When the UFC announced the Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov matchup, the champion opened as the +170 betting underdog to the -200 challenger. Today, Dvalishvili is the +275 betting underdog to Nurmagomedov, who is the -325 betting favorite, according to BetOnline.
We will have more on UFC 311: Merab Dvalishvili Vs. Umar Nurmagomedov, as fight night nears.
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