According to Javier Mendez, Merab Dvalishvili’s flashy behavior influenced the judges’ decision in his favor over Umar Nurmagomedov.
Despite winning the first two rounds on two judges’ scorecards, Nurmagomedov suffered a unanimous decision defeat to bantamweight champion Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) at UFC 311 in January.
Even though Nurmagomedov (18-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) sustained a hand injury in the first round of the fight, Mendez, his head coach, believes there was another factor that contributed to his loss.
During an episode of the “Javier & Mo podcast,” Mendez shared his thoughts with Nurmagomedov, stating, “I felt you won three out of the five rounds. In the fifth round, he showboated his way to victory, acting like the winner while you were fatigued. That’s why I think he stole the win from you because you allowed him to. But I truly believe you won.”
“In terms of damage and overall performance, Umar did more than Dvalishvili. However, Dvalishvili’s showboating and presence swayed the judges in his favor. Umar couldn’t prevent him from projecting that image, and I understand how the judges could be influenced by that,” Mendez added.
Nurmagomedov has not been scheduled for his next fight yet. Meanwhile, Dvalishvili is set to face Sean O’Malley in the main event of UFC 316 on June 7 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
For more information about the event, check out MMA Junkie’s UFC 316 event hub.
Don’t forget to join the discussion on MMA Junkie’s Instagram page and YouTube channel with fellow MMA fans.