Many fans assumed UFC 311 would witness Umar as the bantamweight champion. After all, the Nurmagomedovs rarely ever experience MMA losses, but it seems they may have underestimated Merab Dvalishvili. The Dagestani looked exhausted by the end of the fifth round as Dvalishvili was relentless in his pursuit of defending his title. Now Nurmagomedov’s teammate, Islam Makhachev, who has been in the trenches with him, seems to have the answer.

He was scheduled to star in the main event, right after ‘Young Eagle’ lost his co-main event fight. So, what did Islam Makhachev have to say about Nurmagomedov? Well, he stated:

“I don’t think that Umar needs to change a lot of things. Umar needs a full camp. For example, I went to USA 40 days before my fight. But really starts camp two months before that here at home. I was in Kislovodsk in mountains. Went full camp. I had three-step camp, Umar wasn’t with us and he didn’t know if he will fight. He came to us in USA when he found out he has a title fight.

“He was already with a hand injury. He trained with a brace. He just didn’t want to miss his title shot, and I think she showed a good fight. Umar lacked championship rounds experience. He doesn’t need to change a lot. He just needs to deserve another chance.”

Makhachev said the above in an interview with Ushatayka.

The fact that Makhachev was able to put in a full training camp shows just how much difference a few extra weeks, or even days, can make. The stakes were high for Umar Nurmagomedov. A title shot was on the line, and nobody, not even a warrior like the Dagestani, was going to sit out. But here’s a problem.

Did he make a mistake rushing in when he knew he was not at his best? After all, now that he lost his shot at the title, he will have to put in more effort to get yet another chance to become the champion. That being said, let’s not forget that Merab Dvalishvili did exactly what he needed to do.

After humbling Umar Nurmagomedov, who’s next for the reigning champion?

Merab Dvalishvili‘s win wasn’t just about Umar Nurmagomedov’s limitations, it was about his relentless drive and unbreakable pace. ‘The Machine’ didn’t just defend his bantamweight title at UFC 311, he put on a show. Handing ‘Young Eagle’ his first loss was impressive enough, but his antics toward Team Khabib stole headlines too. With his theatrics and dominance combined, the Georgian champ is evolving into a must-watch fighter.

From fight-week mind games to unapologetic post-fight celebrations, the bantamweight champion turned up the drama. Is this his new trademark? If so, expect even more fireworks in future bouts. Bellator legend Patricio Freire was recently released by the PFL, and if the UFC snatch him up, it would be nice to see him clash against Dvalishvili. With the Georgian running out of challengers, ‘Pitbull’ could be an intriguing addition.

The question is whether he would survive the champ’s relentless pace or become another name on his hit list. However, we can’t help but feel this fight is close to impossible.

Song Yadong could rebound into contention if he wins his fight with Henry Cejudo. But let’s be honest, the champ thrives on breaking fighters mentally and physically. So it would be interesting to see if Yadong has the stamina to survive.

Then there is Petr Yan. Their first fight was one-sided, but Yan is working his way back. A rematch would bring plenty of tension and more than a little bad blood.

However, beating the champion isn’t just about skill, it’s about surviving his cardio and unrelenting pressure. So before Umar Nurmagomedov can get another title shot, it will be interesting to see what ‘The Machine’ does next. What do you think?