Merab Dvalishvili’s right leg appears compromised ahead of his UFC 311 co-main event title defense.
UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili, in an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, warned fans of some lingering health concerns ahead of his UFC 311 return. After pre-event photos were made public this week, Dvalishvili’s warnings were proven genuine just hours ahead of his fight with the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov.
Dvalishvili will make his first UFC bantamweight title defense against Nurmagomedov in the UFC 311 co-main event this Saturday in Los Angeles. Just a few months removed from his title win over Sean O’Malley, Dvalishvili will face arguably the toughest test of his career against Nurmagomedov, and seems he’s entering fight week at less than 100 percent health.
Fighters competing while injured is nothing new in Mixed Martial Arts. The UFC’s athletes are some of the toughest men and women in and out of the cage, including Dvalishvili, who appears to be dealing with some sort of right calf ailment ahead of UFC 311.
In newly released photos by the UFC, Dvalishvili appears to have some sort of bruising/laceration on his right calf. Fans quickly took notice of the apparent injury on social media, and immediately questioned why the Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov fight will move forward as scheduled.
Fans are less hopeful about Merab Dvalishvili’s chances at UFC 311
“This is rough. a) will he wear a calf sleeve like Rockhold did that one time. B) why did he feel pressured to take the fight since he’s the champion?” one fan wrote.
“Dont like this from Merab, rushed into the fight and is very emotional.”
“Why is he kicking in sparring without pads on? That’s what it looks like to me.”
“Seeing this suggests it should be postponed for medical reasons. The fans deserve to see him and Umar duke it out at 100%.”
“The UFC dislikes him for bullying their precious O’Malley and has some pretty f***ed-up tactics.”
Dvalishvili told Bloody Elbow that his pre-fight injury issues weren’t enough to consider withdrawing from UFC 311. He refused to expand on the extent of the injuries in fear of “panicking” fans ready to watch him return to the Octagon this weekend.
Dvalishvili might explain some of his pre-fight health concerns after UFC 311, but for now, concerns about his physical well-being ahead of Saturday’s event are running rampant.
Merab Dvalishvili booked for UFC 311 co-main despite an apparent leg injury
Dvalishvili could potentially enter the Octagon on Saturday with some sort of sleeve/added protection for his leg, especially facing the kick-heavy Nurmagomedov. As of this writing, the fight remains intact and will carry on as scheduled.
Dvalishvili’s first bantamweight title defense comes amidst an 11-fight winning streak, including victories over former UFC champions Petr Yan and José Aldo. He also secured a bantamweight title shot by showcasing a dominant performance against former bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo last February at UFC 298.
Umar, the cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, earned the title shot following a win over Cory Sandhagen at UFC Abu Dhabi last year. He’s undefeated in his UFC tenure with recent wins over Bekzat Almakhan and Raoni Barcelos.
Hours away from UFC 311, Dvalishvili’s health is a big storyline ahead of fight night. In the meantime, Dvalishvili appears on course to fight on Saturday, albeit at less than 100 percent healthwise.
from Bloody Elbow https://ift.tt/afZ3I19
