It looks like the problems for newly crowned bantamweight king Merab Dvalishvili have only just begun, and they aren’t leaving his shadow anytime soon. Just a few hours ago, Dvalishvili confidently challenged Sean O’Malley for a rematch at Madison Square Garden, claiming, “Let’s do it November 16th.”

However, he likely didn’t anticipate that ‘Suga’ would join forces with Dvalishvili’s ‘wannabe’ rival, Umar Nurmagomedov, to launch verbal jabs at Dvalishvili on Twitter, accusing him of avoiding a fight with the undefeated Nurmagomedov. This series of exchanges has now reached a climax with Nurmagomedov’s latest tweet, which is bound to be the final nail in this ongoing debate.

Umar Nurmagomedov reflects reality to Merab Dvalishvili

When Merab Dvalishvili dramatically announced his intention to rematch Sean O’Malley in November, it seemed more mocking than serious, as Dvalishvili is well aware that ‘Suga’ currently cannot fight because of a torn left labrum in his hip, sustained during their last bout. O’Malley is scheduled for surgery in October, making it impossible for him to compete in November. In response, Sean O’Malley tweeted, “Getting surgery Oct 3rd. Fought you with one hip and still beat you. Round 1, 3, 5. I’m the champ. Fight Umar.”

To find his name in Sean O’Malley’s response to Dvalishvili, Umar Nurmagomedov, who had previously seemed to side with ‘Suga’ in bashing Merab Dvalishvili, was clearly not pleased with O’Malley’s recommendation. In the same tweet thread, Nurmagomedov slammed O’Malley for his ‘lackluster’ performance at the Sphere, writing, “Just 4 letters mediocrity.” This mic-dropping reply from Umar Nurmagomedov will undoubtedly leave fans and even O’Malley speechless, as few could believe that they were bashing Merab Dvalishvili together.

This mouth-shutting tweet from Sean O’Malley clearly indicates that Umar Nurmagomedov is not in the mood for partnership; all he needs is a hungry new opponent, whether it’s titleholder Merab Dvalishvili or someone else like ‘Suga’. However, if you missed how Nurmagomedov and Dvalishvili’s verbal jab war started, you are indeed in the right place to find out. Keep scrolling down.

How did the Umar Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili beef start?

Since his UFC debut, Umar Nurmagomedov (18-0-0) has been a constant nightmare for opponents in his division, carrying the same aura as his cousin, UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov. With that attitude, Umar has consistently derailed anyone standing in his path to inch closer to a title shot. The most recent example was his fight against Cory Sandhagen in Abu Dhabi this past August. Despite Sandhagen’s efforts, he stood little chance against Nurmagomedov’s formidable grappling skills, resulting in a defeat. This victory not only cemented Nurmagomedov’s status in the bantamweight division but also propelled him to the #8 ranking, making waves throughout the division.

One person who took notice was Merab Dvalishvili. When Dvalishvili had the opportunity to avoid a fight with Nurmagomedov, he didn’t hesitate to downplay Umar’s worthiness for a title shot. He claimed, “Umar is OK, but I’m telling you guys, from the top 15, he’s only won one fight, and that was Cory Sandhagen. We all saw what Aljamain Sterling did against Cory Sandhagen—made him sleep in the first round. I respect Cory Sandhagen, but yeah.”

What are your thoughts on Umar Nurmagomedov’s remark to Sean O’Malley? Do you believe that, along with a “lackluster” performance, O’Malley also displayed “mediocrity”? Drop your opinion below.