September 18, 2024 6:00 pm ET
Demetrious Johnson sees UFC bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili having a significant benefit over Umar Nurmagomedov.
Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) beat Sean O’Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in a dominant choice win to declare the bantamweight title in Saturday’s UFC 306 centerpiece at Sphere in Las Vegas.
Umar Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) is waiting in the wings for his title shot, however Dvalishvili is not offered on him being No. 1 competitor. If Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov do end up combating, Johnson believes Dvalishvili’s gas tank will offer him an edge.
“This is going to be intriguing due to the fact that I feel his conditioning is going to be the X-factor since we understand he’s not going to stop,” Johnson stated on his YouTube channel. “He’s going to be a hectic bee around the octagon to where this gentleman (Nurmagomedov) has the high kicks, he’s long, he’s huge, and he likewise has the fumbling.
“But he does not have the work principles like this guy (Dvalishvili). Not stating he does not have the work principles, he does not have simply that, ‘I’m pertaining to smash you, I’m concerning smother you,’ like Khabib. This guy (Dvalishvili) has that bear gene where he simply comes and gets you, where he’s (Nurmagomedov) more tactical.”
Nurmagomedov contended in his very first centerpiece at UFC on ABC 7 in August, when he lasted longer than Cory Sandhagen in what was called as a title remover.
For more on the card, check out MMA Junkie’s occasion center for UFC 306.
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