Merab Dvalishvili vs Umar Nurmagomedov — Fight recap

Merab Dvalishvili defeated Umar Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision over five rounds on January 18, 2025, in a striking-heavy contest that saw the bantamweight champion control the pace throughout. Dvalishvili landed 111 of 259 significant strikes at 42% accuracy while securing seven takedowns on 30 attempts, establishing dominance in both the standing and grappling exchanges.

Nurmagomedov countered with 104 significant strikes at 43% accuracy and managed just two takedowns from 15 attempts, struggling to impose his wrestling game against Dvalishvili's superior pressure and cage control. The Georgian champion maintained 2:22 of control time compared to Nurmagomedov's 1:37, dictating range and positioning across all five rounds.

This decisive victory solidifies Dvalishvili's position atop the division and suggests his wrestling-based approach remains the benchmark for title contention at 135 pounds.