Is Umar Nurmagomedov going into his first UFC title fight injured?
According to DraftKings, the undefeated Dagestani is a more than three-to-one favorite to defeat reigning and defending bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili when the two co-headline UFC 311 inside the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on January 18. However, after Nurmagomedov’s latest admission, it might be worth it to drop a few bucks on ‘The Machine’ to succeed in his first title defense.
During a recent interview with the UFC, Nurmagomdeov revealed that he had broken his arm while training.
“After I was in Dagestan, I punch my arm. I go to show the doctor, you know, and I show them. They [do] like not [an] MRI [but] [what do you call it] when they check bone? They did X-ray and they said, ‘You broke [your arm].’ You know after that, after 20 days I go again even when I was broken, I was running. I want to still be in shape, you know.
“Even that time I try run, try to try to do shadow boxing, you know try to be in shape. And after 20 days I go again, and it’s become much better.”
Nurmagomedov didn’t elaborate on the extent of the injury, but even a hairline fracture takes six to eight weeks to heal.
Dvalishvili Insists Umar Nurmagomedov hasn’t earned his title shot
Nurmagomdeov, 18-0, earned his shot at the 135-pound crown with a dominant decision victory over Cory Sandhagen over the summer. That skyrocketed him from the bottom of the rankings to the No. 2 spot — much to the chagrin of Dvalishvili who has criticized the UFC for giving Nurmagomedov a title opportunity despite his blatant lack of wins in the top 15.
“Umar is a skilled fighter, but it’s a huge challenge, and he hasn’t earned it like the rest of us,” Dvalishvili said of his first challenger.
Dvalishvili claimed the bantamweight belt in September when he handily defeated ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 inside Sphere in Las Vegas.
