Merab Dvalishvili’s Coach Believes Rematch Might Be Worse for Umar Nurmagomedov

Merab Dvalishvili’s coach, Ray Longo, believes the champ will fare even better in a potential rematch against Umar Nurmagomedov.

The then-unbeaten Nurmagomedov was considered the toughest challenge for Dvalishvili, who was initially reluctant to fight him in his first title defense. However, Dvalishvili eventually accepted the booking at UFC 311 this past January. While Nurmagomedov led the dance in the opening round, Dvalishvili took over as the fight progressed to earn a unanimous decision victory. 

After Dvalishvili beat Sean O’Malley in a rematch at UFC 316 earlier this month, a rematch between the champ and Nurmagomedov is up for discussion again. Longo believes a rematch will play out exactly the same, if not worse, for Nurmagomedov. Longo notes that Dvalishvili earned a decision victory in his initial title win over O’Malley but finished “Suga” in the rematch. Longo also recalls “The Machine” showboating a little in his fight against Nurmagomedov. Longo claims Dvalishvili is all business now and expects him to perform even better.

Coach: Merab Dvalishvili is ‘All Business’ These Days

“[The rematch will go] the same way the first fight went. Maybe worse, just like O’Malley,” Longo told Red Corner MMA. “The O’Malley fight, first one [Merab] didn’t finish, second one [he did]. The more comfortable Merab gets, the better he’s gonna get. He already fought Umar, he’s got the confidence now. You gotta remember, even in the Umar fight he played around a little bit. No playing around — it would have been different. He’s getting more serious with that part. You didn’t see in the O’Malley fight no playing around at all. No kissing, no looking away, he’s all business. I believe he will do that to Umar too.”

Cory Sandhagen is widely believed to be next in line for a bantamweight title shot against Dvalishvili. However, Dana White entertained the idea of a rematch against Nurmagomedov at the UFC 316< press conference.   

“The rematch with Merab will be even worse for Umar, just like O’Malley”

Dvalishvili’s coach Ray Longo shared his thoughts on a possible rematch between Umar Nurmagomedov and the current bantamweight champion.

Red Corner MMA spoke to Longo in Azerbaijan, where he came to corner… pic.twitter.com/Dn6LzWC1Yb

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) June 24, 2025