UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili went back to work a little quicker than anybody anticipated, returning from a title win in September to a title defense against Umar Nurmagomedov this Saturday at UFC 311 - and Umar's cousin Khabib believes he knows why.

Umar Nurmagomedov is widely compared to his Hall of Fame cousin. But has the real "next Khabib" been in front of our faces this whole time?

We want your predictions for Saturday's UFC 311 event in Los Angeles. Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we'll

After a heated and personal back-and-forth in the pre-fight buildup, the UFC bantamweight champion is eager to send a message to his opponent in the Octagon.

Jari Prochazka versus Jamahal Hill is the pick of the fights from the rest of the undercard, with betting apps pricing the American at 8/11 to get the win, while Kevin Holland’s middleweight contest against Reinier de Ridder will attract some interest too.

Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC 311 co-main event between bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov. Sep 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Sean O’Malley of the United States (red gloves) fights Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia (blue gloves) during Riyadh Season Noche UFC 306 at The Sphere.