UFC 321: Umar Nurmagomedov full media day interview
UFC 321 fighter Umar Nurmagomedov spoke to MMA Junkie and reporters at media day for his bantamweight bout vs. Mario Bautista.
ABU DHABI – Not everyone was impressed with Merab Dvalishvili’s title defense earlier this month.
While some were taken away with Dvalishvili’s third defense of his featherweight belt at UFC 320, Umar Nurmagomedov was not. Dvalishvili tied the record for the most title defenses at 135 pounds, and did so by dominating Sandhagen from start to finish. Nurmagomedov (18-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) expected the fight to go the way it did, and didn’t think there was anything extraordinary in the performance.
“When you attack all the times legs, and you try takedown, it’s very hard to fight with you on the strike,” Nurmagomedov told reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 321 media day. “I know it because I do this a lot. You always have to be focused (on the takedowns). I’m not surprised. Even about the result, I’m not surprised. He don’t show anything new. He didn’t control him on the ground or try to do some submission or choke. He didn’t even take him down and hold him and punch him. Takedown, gets up, takedown. It’s good. He can do whatever he wants. Victory is victory. I was not surprised.”
Nurmagomedov, who fought and lost a unanimous decision to Dvalishvili in January, retuns to the cage this Saturday on the main card of UFC 321 (Pay-per-view, FX/Disney+/ESPN+) – which takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. He takes on rising contender Mario Bautista (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC).
Nurmagomedov expects to get his hand raised in a few days, and he’d like to get a second crack at Dvalishvili, should he beat Petr Yan in his next title defense in December.
“Of course, we’re both going to win,” Nurmagomedov said. “It’s a very interesting fight for the fans and for the UFC. But I don’t want to wait too long. I want to be active, and we’ll see what the UFC is going to ask. We’ll see after this fight. If it’s possible, I want to fight in January or February.”
