Dana White dropped a banger last year when he revealed the UFC 311 fight card. Both Islam Makhachev and Merab Dvalishvili will defend their UFC gold against Arman Tsarukyan and Umar Nurmagomedov. The card is stacked and fight fans are ready to binge on an enthralling affair. The UFC consistently ensures that they lend box office appeal to their fighters and their cards. One avenue they do this is through fashion. Dana White knows how to take care of fashion when it comes to his champion fighters. Venum, responsible for ensuring fighters sport a fresh look with maximum comfort, has released new custom shorts for Islam Makhachev and Merab Dvalishvili, and fans couldn’t contain their excitement.

Recently, UFC Lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, and bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili’s custom fighting shorts came to light in a post by ‘Champ Rds’ on their Instagram handle. The first look of the shorts was amazing, featuring Makhachev in black and white shorts with a gold lining set against the backdrop of the Dagestan mountains. The custom shorts represent his culture and his tenacity.

Venum has designed a classy pair of custom shorts for Merab Dvalishvili, featuring a white base with a red lining that represents the Georgian flag. The design also includes elements such as mountains and horses, adding a unique touch to the shorts. We can also witness a quote written in the Georgian language.

Regardless, both pairs of shorts have been carefully crafted to represent the fighters’ cultural backgrounds and their styles. However, the fans had mixed opinions about the custom shorts. Let’s have a look at what the community has to say.

Fans divided over Islam Makhachev and Merab Dvalishvili’s custom shorts

When the UFC first introduced the concept of custom shorts, the MMA community was excited to witness the various designs that fighters would choose for themselves. Some designs would be good, while others might fall short. Nevertheless, many in the community believe the UFC 311 designs do not fall under the “good” category. A curious social media user stated, “These are terrible.” Another social media user dived in to support the claim, “Nah, original champ shorts look better on him.” 

Furthermore, a social media user believes that Merab Dvalishvili is destined to lose his bantamweight belt against Umar Nurmagomedov, “custom shorts for a champion about to lose his belt is crazy.” We must note that Nurmagomedov is a -360 favorite vs Merab, the +240 underdog as of today.

Moreover, a social media user might indicated that they miss the old shorts, “Just wear the gold ones.” Finally, the custom shorts found some support from the fan.“Black should have been the base color. Although Islam rocks the usual one he wears. Black with gold trim befitting a champion.” Last but not least, a social media user pledged his full support for Islam Makhachev, “Islam doesn’t care, he gonna win. But yeah crazy mountain short.”

We are just four days away from witnessing the championship clash between the Dagestani and the Caucasian fighters. Regardless, what’s your take on the custom shorts? State your thoughts in the comments below.