Khabib Nurmagomedov explains why he’d rather see cousin Umar take on Merab Dvalishvili over Sean O’Malley in pending UFC title fight

Khabib Nurmagomedov has explained why he’d rather see Umar Nurmagomedov face Merab Dvalishivili as opposed to Sean O’Malley.

Last weekend, Umar Nurmagomedov pulled off the biggest win of his career. He defeated Cory Sandhagen via unanimous decision, and he did so fairly convincingly. Ever since, fans have been wondering whether or not he’s going to receive a title shot.

RELATED: Sean O’Malley’s coach responds to Merab Dvalishvili’s recent threats: “Taking on me is not very smart”

Before that, of course, Sean O’Malley will be defending the UFC bantamweight championship against Merab Dvalishvili. It’s a fight many have been waiting to see for quite some time, and given their respective styles, it’s hard to predict how it’ll play out.

Khabib, who was in Umar Nurmagomedov’s corner for the bout, gave his thoughts on who he’d like to see him take on out of the two.

"I think he's ready."@TeamKhabib believes that @UNmgdv is ready for a title shot next!#InAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi | #UFCAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/P6L2Ogp1xI

— UFC (@ufc) August 3, 2024

Nurmagomedov wants Dvalishvili

“I want Merab [Dvalishvili], to be honest, because he’s from Georgia,” Nurmagomedov said. “We are neighbors, Dagestan and Georgia. I want Merab to win because it’s going to be a very interesting fight. White papakha vs. black papakha. But if [Sean] O’Malley wins, it’s going to be white papakha vs. pink papakha. It’s going to be good competition for O’Malley, a very good fight, high-level fight for all of the fans around the world.

“It’s not easy to beat Umar, and it’s not easy to beat Merab or Sean O’Malley,” he continued. “This is high level. Anything can happen, but in my opinion, Umar is ready. This fight put him one more level up, and we’ll see. He’s still growing, too. He’s still learning. He’s just 28 years old, and he’s still learning.”

Quotes via MMA Mania

What do you believe will be the next UFC bantamweight title fight after Noche UFC? Let us know, BJPENN Nation!