Why the Umar Nurmagomedov Loss Is Surrounded by Controversy

At UFC 311, Merab Dvalishvili took Umar Nurmagomedov’s undefeated record as he successfully retained his UFC Bantamweight Championship. The now 18-1 fighter has been surrounded by controversy since his loss. Many of his fans believe he won the fight, and others have claimed he only lost due to injury. However, most fans have made fun of the Nurmagomedovs and their fans after this loss, as it proved that Umar was not unstoppable. 

After the first round in Dvalishvili vs Nurmagomedov at UFC 311, the challenger suffered an injury as he broke his hand. It’s since been used as a reason why he lost the fight, and it’s been stated that he would’ve won if it wasn’t for getting hurt. However, the response to this is that Umar’s hand shouldn’t have played a factor in him getting fatigued during the fight. Although that may not be completely true, it seems like an excuse by Umar Nurmagomedov fans as he was still able to perform at a high level. 

Another reason why this loss is so controversial is because of Umar’s cousin, Khabib Nurmagomedov. Khabib’s main accomplishment was going undefeated in his MMA career at 29-0, and Umar was held to the same expectations. Now that Umar lost at UFC 311, fans have been hating on him and critiquing his skillset. Umar Nurmagomedov has previously expressed his desire to retire undefeated. Unfortunately, that goal is no longer achievable.

There has also been controversy surrounding a potential rematch, with many being for it and many more being against it. The UFC’s play-by-play commentator, Jon Anik, tweeted out that he believes a rematch should be in play due to how close the fight was. That post was met with a majority of negative comments with fans disagreeing, with some even claiming that he didn’t deserve a title shot in the first place. It’s a controversial topic as Nurmagomedov was very close to winning the world title at UFC 311, though it wasn’t considered a robbery and might not be means for an immediate rematch. 

The entire UFC 311 result between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov has led to toxic conversations and debates. It’s unfair to downplay Umar’s skill given that he had a great performance against one of the best fighters in the world, though it’s also unfair to Merab to say he would’ve lost the fight if Umar didn’t get injured. Although Khabib Nurmagomedov went undefeated, fans should not go after Umar for simply losing a fight. He’s still young and has massive potential, and it’s not a hot take to say that Umar Nurmagomedov will become UFC Bantamweight Champion one day.