Ex-UFC Champ Picks Merab Dvalishvili to Lose at UFC 311: ‘Umar Can Beat Him Everywhere'

Luke Rockhold reveals his prediction for Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311.

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Luke Rockhold sees the UFC 311 co-main event going only one way.

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The former UFC Middleweight Champion is among those who believe the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov will leave LA with the bantamweight title as he challenges champ Merab Dvalishvili on Jan. 18. Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov is one of the most intriguing clash of styles we've ever seen in the division, Dvalishvili's takedowns and unreal pace put up against a very well rounded Nurmagomedov across 25 minutes.

Riding a six-fight win streak in the UFC, Nurmagomedov aims for 19-0. Dvalishvili looks for his 12th win in a row, boasting a more seasoned resume with key wins over Sean O'Malley, Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan and Jose Aldo.

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Rockhold: Nurmagomedov "Better Than Him Everywhere"

"Merab, he's a tricky, tough, hard-nosed dude. Umar can beat him everywhere, really," Rockhold said on the Jaxxon Podcast. "He can outstrike him... I'm telling you, he's better than him everywhere, really.

"Merab might have a wrestling advantage in some way, shape or form, but nah."

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Rockhold continued.

"If you think about it, You're like, 'Oh, it's a tough matchup for Umar...' Like, but then you start really looking at it and you're like, wait, he's gonna outstrike Merab and then Merab's gonna get frustrated. He is gonna shoot in, Umar's gonna counter him. He's probably gonna get to a dominant position and then go back up. I don't see that fight going any other way."

Merab Dvalishvili has been caught on the feet before, especially in his last two fights with Henry Cejudo and Sean O'Malley managing to land, but "The Machine" always powers through and survives. We'll see how well he can work against someone as well-versed as Umar Nurmagomedov.

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