Coach Tim Welch doubts Umar Nurmagomedov would fight UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili severely injured.
Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) challenges Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) Jan. 18 in the UFC 311 co-headliner at Intuit Dome from Inglewood, Calif. (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
Nurmagomedov let it slip that he recently fractured his arm and that both his manager and brother, Usman, advised him against fighting Dvalishvili in January. However, Nurmagomedov insisted on competing before Ramadan starts, which Welch believes means he should be fit enough to compete.
“They know they’re going to get the title shot eventually,” Welch told Submission Radio. “So I don’t think he’s going to be that hurt. I think he’s probably going to be probably more healthy and more ready than people think. And, yeah, it’s like I said, for these title shots, it’s like, for some people, you’ll get one title shot your whole career, the rest of your life.
“For Umar, with his last name, I feel like even if he lost this Merab fight, he wins two more, he’s back in the title picture. So I don’t think that’s the case. I don’t think they’re like, ‘You’re going to get one shot at this title, Umar, and you’re never going to get one again, so you have to take it even if you’re injured.’ I think he’s not that injured, and they’re really confident with this match.”
Dvalishvili was never sold on Nurmagomedov being a worthy title contender, after the 29-year-old needed just one ranked win over Cory Sandhagen to earn his shot.
Welch’s star fighter, Sean O’Malley, entered his past title fight with Dvalishvili at UFC 306 with a hip injury. He lost his bantamweight title and underwent surgery for a torn labrum in his left hip after the fight.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.
